


Legend Reborn

by princessamaterasu



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angels, Brothers, Childhood Friends, Corruption, Creatures, F/M, Family, Flashbacks, Friendship, Goddesses, Gods, Journey, Kindness, Love, Magic, Mercy - Freeform, Quests, Resurrection, Romance, Sacrifice, Shadows - Freeform, Spirit Animals, Temples, Wings, oblivion, power
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 13:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 104,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessamaterasu/pseuds/princessamaterasu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an Alternate Universe where people have wings and gods and goddesses rule the land, Elizabeta and five other champions have been chosen to embark on an epic quest. But will falling in love cost Elizabeta everything? Prussia x Hungary</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Legend

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have claim on Hetalia
> 
> So this story is going to be really different from what I've written before, but I hope you still enjoy it just as much as the others :) I should also mention that I'm in school now so I may not be able to update everyday anymore, but I'll do my best to update frequently.

There's a legend in the land of Elarium that its inhabitants tell to remind each other of how they came to be and what they have to be grateful for. It goes something like this.

Once, a very long time ago, there was the land, the goddesses, their children, and that was all. There were no angels in those times. Just the first, who is a goddess, Matrisus. She roamed the land with the other goddesses who all lived in harmony with each other and the land. Matrisus is the first angel. She had golden wings unlike her children today. She was the mightiest of all the goddesses, and they served under her as loyal friends.

The first goddess of the three lower goddesses is Urmatri. Urmatri is the creator of the mountains and deep forests where her children, the bears, still roam today. She is the patron of power and courage. Her children are large, strong, and fear nothing. They are steadfast to the end.

The second lower goddess is Lumatri. Lumatri is the creator of large tracts of grasslands and rushing rivers. Her children, the wolves, roam in packs across the grasslands, and drink from her pure waters. She is the patron of agility and family. Her children are lithe, swift, and affectionate. They will never abandon a member of their group.

The third lower goddess is Aquimatri. Aquimatri is the creator of the vast skies and low valleys where her children, the eagles, soar in search of prey. She is the patron of knowledge and justice. Her children are keen, clever, and just. They will always do what they know is right.

These three are not the only goddesses, but they are the three that did the most for Matrisus.

One day, a dark presence disturbed the land of Elarium. A shadow crawled across the land, tainting the hearts of everything it touched. The children of the goddesses of earth and plants were the first to be lost to the shadows, and their mothers quickly followed.

Matrisus began to fear for the fate of the land. She called upon all of the goddesses to assist her fight against the shadows. None of them answered her plea for help, except Urmatri, Lumatri, and Aquimatri. The rest were too scared or too weak. The three goddesses knelt in front of Matrisus and pledged their allegiance to her. They promised to rally their children to the cause.

"I will give you my two fiercest children," Urmatri said to Matrisus. "They are brothers, and will fight courageously." She presented two large bears.

Not to be outdone, Lumatri presented two identical wolves. "I will also give you two brothers," she said to Matrisus. "These twins of mine are the swiftest of my children."

The two goddesses looked at Aquimatri to see what she would offer. "I will give you the wisest and most just of my children," she said to

Matrisus. "My children are clever enough to be worth two of any other mothers' children."

Matrisus and her companions visited the homes of each child to gain the blessings of the goddesses and the land. In the mountains, the bear brothers were blessed with enchanted claws. In the plains, the wolf twins were blessed with heightened senses. In the valleys, the single eagle was blessed with foresight.

The companions continued to the edges of the shadow infection. They fought bravely for many days and nights against the encroaching shadows. Matrisus landed the final blow with her powerful spear. With the threat gone, Matrisus prepared to spread the news of their victory when she became aware of the state of her companions.

Her small group of loyal children lay on the ground behind her dying. They had fought with all of their might. Matrisus knelt next to each child in turn and informed them of their victory. They all raised their voices to the heavens, praising the goddess with their last breath.

Tears began to fall from Matrisus's eyes. She called upon her ancient power to transform each child into an angel like her. Each one with beautiful wings, although not gold like hers, and intricate black tattoos of the animal they used to be. She breathed life back into each angel, one by one. Thus she gave life to the race of angels that still inhabit Elarium today.

"I give you, my children, charge over the land," said to them. "Take care of it until the day I return to you." The strain of creating the other angels took a heavy toll on her body. After speaking those words, Matrisus fell into a deep sleep and faded from sight. Although her physical presence is gone, her consciousness still dwells in the land today and watches over her children.

Her children began to learn about the powers they had been granted by their powerful mother. Each one could soar through the air on their large wings, and jump over the tallest trees. They also discovered they could change back into their previous forms using the magic contained in their tattoos. In this way did each return to their groups and produce offspring. Some of their children could turn into angels, but they could not change back. All they could do was manifest their animal form as a kind of spirit animal. It acted as a companion for them, and a link to their origin. Only the original five children could shift back and forth between animal and angel.

From the original five children, the race of angels grew, and split into three tribes. Each tribe has a different goddess as its patron, but all hold Matrisus, their mother, in the highest regard. And that is how the land of Elarium remains to this day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Meanings for Names:
> 
> Elarium: formed using elisium de alarum (paradise of wings)
> 
> Matrisus: formed using matri de universus (mother of all)
> 
> Urmatri: formed using ursus matri (bear mother)
> 
> Lumatri: formed using lupus matri (wolf mother)
> 
> Aquimatri: formed using aquila matri (eagle mother)


	2. The Ceremony

The air is filled with an excited buzz as different vendors and merchants peddle their wares, and the scent of cooking food hangs heavily in the air. Underneath all of that I can pick up on the faint scent of alcohol that was probably spilt by some drunks as they stumbled down the busy street. I pass stall after stall full of trinkets and knick knacks people are trying to sell for the ceremony.

"E-Elizabeta! Please slow down!" my best friend calls after me.

"You need to hurry up Kiku!" I call over my shoulder. The short boy does his best to keep up with me. I guess I shouldn't call him a boy since, technically, he's older than me, but he doesn't look his age.

"Can we please not do that again?" he pants when I come to a stop.

I brush away some of my sandy brown hair that's sticking to my sweaty neck before answering. "I just wanted to get good spots in line this year. I feel like we're always at the end."

Kiku looks at me with his dark brown eyes and sighs. "Perhaps you're just too impatient? But I understand what you're saying."

"The clans are just too big. There's too many people participating in the ceremony every year." I huff. "I wish there was a way to make it faster."

Kiku looks around the ceremonial grounds before replying. "Then we should get in our lines because they're starting to curve into the street."

"Shoot!" I turn to look at the line I'm supposed to be in. It's the longest of all four lines. "Dang it! Well I guess I'll see you during the ceremony then Kiku! Bye!" I wave as I run to the end of the line.

Kiku and I had arrived several hours early for the ceremony, so waiting for it to start was awfully boring. I ended up standing behind some Wolves, and they were so obnoxious. They kept talking about which guy they thought was cute or who's outfit was out of style. I don't hate girly things since I'm a bit of a girly girl myself, but I started hating them after listening to their nasally voices talk about them for three hours straight.

Finally the sun has sunk low enough in the sky that the elders begin to light the torches around the circular ceremonial grounds, and on the platform at the northern end. They cast eerie shadows that flicker ominously on the ground. It makes me think of the legend that this whole ceremony is based on. I wonder if it's true, or if it's just a story to explain to children why we have wings and spirit animals.

"It's not just a story...you'll find that out...soon enough..."

I turn my head around, but the voice didn't come from the girls behind me. They give me odd looks as I turn back around. What was that? It didn't sound like the kind of voice I'd want talking to me in the woods at night. I shift my cream colored wings nervously. Then again, I don't want any voices talking to me no matter where I am. I do my best to try to forget about it. That's when I notice the elders climbing onto the platform. We all go silent as we wait for them to begin speaking.

One of the elders, a gray haired man, steps forward and begins to talk. He's a Bear because I can see the Bear tattoo on his right shoulder. "People of the clans! I welcome you to the Ceremony of Legends. Each year we hold this ceremony in honor of our creator and mother, the goddess Matrisus, the first angel, and the valiant effort made by our brothers the bears, the wolves, and the eagle. Some of you may be here for the first time, so I will have elder Marlene explain more."

He steps back and an elderly looking woman steps forward.

"My children," she begins, "it's been a thousand years since our Great Mother battled the shadows to save the land of Elarium. That makes this year's ceremony even more special. Each year we pass around sacred artifacts that belonged to the original member or members of our clans through the youth of our clans. And every year the artifacts respond to the people they think are the best representatives of that clan to perform a reenactment of the quest against the shadows." She stops to cough a few times and clear her throat. "As is tradition, we will begin with the Bears."

I look over at Kiku, who is shifting his black wings nervously. He doesn't like standing in front of people. His spirit animal, a peregrine falcon, is perched on his shoulder, and he's presumably talking to it. He's too nervous to look over at me so I look back to what's going on in the ceremony.

Two necklaces have been set up in the center of the circles on a table, and they have each set of brothers walk up to it in turn. The Bears have the second shortest line because their candidates must be brothers like the legend says. Each set of brothers approaches the necklace and does the customary salute of the Bear clan, which is making a claw with your hand over your heart. The line is already halfway through, and the relics haven't reacted at all.

I stifle a yawn as the ceremony continues. I'm so tired from all the festivities this last week leading up to the ceremony that I might just fall asleep on my feet. I wish I could call out a spirit animal, but, for whatever reason, I've never been able to do it. I place a hand on my upper right chest where my Eagle tattoo is. Maybe it's broken, or maybe I'm broken.

My thoughts are interrupted by a glowing coming from the center of the circle. The necklaces are giving off a bright light. I look at the brothers standing in front of it, but it's hard to see them with all that light. The light begins to fade, but the necklaces still give off a faint glow. An excited chattering goes through the crowd. The relics have never reacted like this before. I look to the platform to see the elders discussing things among themselves.

The Bear that spoke in the beginning steps forward to speak again. "We have found our champions from the Bear clan!" A roar comes from the section made up mostly by Bears. There's a fluttering of wings as some people jump high into the air in their excitement. "If our champions could step this way, then we can explain to them their roles this year."

The two brothers walk in the direction indicated. It's hard to imagine they're actually brothers. The tall one is blonde and brawnier than the short one, who looks albino. I don't get a chance to look at their faces before they disappear from my sight.

A middle aged woman steps forward and addresses the crowd. "As is tradition, the Wolves will go next."

The Wolf line is the shortest of all the lines because their candidates must be twins, and they're pretty rare. The line has maybe a dozen sets of twins in it. Each pair of twins approaches their artifact in turn. There are two identical looking leather armbands that replaced the necklaces on the table in the circle. There hasn't been a response to the few twins that have already saluted the relics. The salute of the Wolves is to touch their hand to their heart and then touch whoever, or whatever, they're saluting.

The crowd watches tensely as more Wolves salute in this manner with no luck. It's down to the last few twins. One set of twin brothers approach the artifacts and do their salute. As soon as they touch the armbands they begin to glow as brightly as the necklaces do. A cheer of howls comes from the Wolf section as the light fades.

"The champion for the Wolves!" the same middle aged lady from earlier announces. I assume she must be an elder from the Wolf clan.

The two twins walk in the same direction as the Bears and disappear. This time I was able to get a quick look at their faces. One has darker reddish brown hair than the other and looks a lot more serious. The other has a spacey expression on his face as he beams at his brother. Both have odd little curls that stick out of their heads. They're very different from the two Bears that were selected earlier.

A withered old man steps forward to speak, and the crowd quiets down once again. "As is tradition, we'll have the Eagles next," he says in a frail voice. I recognize him as one of the elders from my, and Kiku's, clan.

I look at Kiku again, and this time he's looking at me. I give him a thumbs up and a smile, but all he does is gulp and nod nervously. His spirit animal vanishes as his line begins moving. The line he's in is the second longest because every single Eagle that's the required age has to salute the artifact.

The leather armbands have been replaced by a single silver ring. The salute of the Eagles is simply a bow, so everyone to approach the ring bows. The line is moving, but not fast enough for me. I'm starting to get a little impatient, but I tell myself that the champion may be near the front of the line and not the back. At least I hope.

It's finally Kiku's turn to salute, and I watch him closely. He seemed so nervous up to this point, but now he looks fairly calm. He actually looks transfixed on the ring as he bends at the waist to bow. As soon as he does the ring begins to glow like the other relics. I look on in shock as the light fades to a faint glow around the ring. Kiku is one of the champions?

"The champion for the Eagles!" our elder cries in a shaky voice. Screaming and screeching come from the Eagle section, and many are flapping their wings.

Kiku gives me one last look before walking away like the others. I worry about my best friend, but if the artifact chose him, then there must be a reason.

"There is...always a reason..."

I try not to react to the voice this time, but it creeps me out a little. Why can't anyone else hear it? Maybe I really am broken.

My thoughts are interrupted when the elders take the ring of the table and replace it with a spear. It's not just any old spear. That spear is supposedly the same one the Great Mother used in her battle against the shadows. I've seen it many times at this ceremony before, but this year it draws my gaze. I feel compelled to skip past everyone in line and pick up the sleek weapon.

I'm snapped out of my daydreaming when the line begins to move forward. My line is by far the longest because it contains every single girl of age from all three clans. Luckily, I'm in the front half of it and not the back. I watch each girl salute the spear in the manner of her clan before walking away. My heart skips with joy when I get closer and closer to the spear.

I can't quite explain why I feel this way this year. Usually I just want to get it over with so I can get to the huge party after the ceremony, but this year is different. The line moves at a painfully slow rate. I ruffle my wings anxiously as I get closer little by little. Soon the spear is only a few people away, and I have to fight the urge to push those people aside so I can have my chance.

The girls in front of me salute and walk away, disappointed that the spear didn't choose them. It's now my turn to salute the artifact with a bow, but I don't. All I can do is stare at the weapon in front of me. It's beckoning to me, I can feel it. A voice fills my mind, but I can't make out the words. This voice is much different than the voice from before. It's warmer and kinder. Without thinking I pick the spear up in my hands. There's intricate carvings in the smooth wood that draws my attention, and I brush my fingertips over them lightly.

"You can't touch that!" someone behind me yells.

Their voice snaps me out of the trance I was in, and I become aware of everyone looking at me. The elders watch curiously, but they don't do anything. Before I can move to set the spear down, I feel an intense heat well up from inside me. I close my eyes as the heat completely envelops me. Gasps and shocked cries come from the crowd, which makes me open my eyes in curiosity.

That's when I realize I'm completely engulfed in flames.


	3. Our Roles

I'm not sure what I should do in this situation. I would most likely start rolling on the ground or something to get the fire out, but the weird thing is this fire doesn't hurt. I still feel heat radiating off of it, and the smell of burning feathers clogs my nose, but I don't feel any pain. I lift my hand up to my face. It hasn't been touched by the fire at all, and neither has the spear I've been holding.

The crowd is screaming suggestions at the elders. Some say to get some water, others want them to save the spear, and a few are shouting that I'm some kind of demon and should be killed. The elders whisper to each other before nodding. It looks like they've decided what they should do with me. They make their way down from the platform and stand in front of me, but they do not approach any further. The crowd goes silent in anticipation.

The flames don't give any sign of dying down, which is strange because they don't seem to be burning anything. I begin to feel an odd sensation on my upper left chest, right over my heart. It's not exactly pain, but it's not comfortable either. I slowly pull my wings out and give them a few good flaps. This clears away all of the flames in an instant.

Everyone gasps but me. I look around at all the people staring transfixed at me, but then I realize they aren't looking at me at all. They're looking at my extended wings. I glance behind me to see what all the fuss is about and gasp myself. They're gold. Each feather glistens and shines in the torchlight and makes my wings appear as if they've been covered in a fine layer of gold dust.

I turn back to the elders with the spear still in my hands. "What's happening to me?"

"I think I can...help explain..." the same eerie voice calls. It makes my neck prickle nervously, and I can tell the others in the crowd are made uneasy by it too. They can hear it this time.

A figure appears out of the shadows of the platform and walks into the center of the circle. His appearance is that of a shadow, his skin the color of charcoal. He looks more like a ghost or an apparition than a being with physical substance, and, sure enough, he walks through a torch as he moves closer to me.

"You see...a long...long time ago...I had a fight with...that pesky goddess of yours," he says with a sneer. I can't see his face under the hood of his black cloak, but I can see his mouth as he talks to me. "She beat me...and sent me back...to the underworld...but I'm back now...and she knew...that I would be...so she prepared...five champions...and a hero...to fight me in her place."

I stare at him in disbelief. "You're the shadow that threatened all of Elarium?"

The shadowy figure takes a bow. "The one...and only...and now I'm here...to get rid of you...before you can complete...your quest...and then...nothing can stop me!" He raises a hand and chants some nonsense words.

Several shadowy figures emerge from the ground. They look like people, but they don't have faces or wings. The shadow figure points at me and shouts some more nonsense that the things he summoned seem to understand. They come running at me.

I tighten my hold on the spear and try to come up with some kind of strategy. I'm not even sure how to properly wield this thing. As soon as I think that, a memory flashes in my mind of expertly spinning and slashing with the spear. I brace myself as the shadows approach. The first one gets impaled straight in the chest, and dissolves into nothingness. The second and third receive a large slash down their fronts. I jump over the last shadow and stick the spear right through its back. There's no trace of any of the shadow creatures as I turn to face the shadow figure. Everything went down in a matter of seconds.

"You're better...than I expected...I hope...you train while you can...because the next time...we meet...I'll be stronger," the shadow figure growls. He takes a few steps back and melts into the shadow of a torch.

There's silence as everyone tries to digest what just happened. I look down at the spear in my hands. I don't understand how I handled it so well since I've never used a spear before in my life. Then who's memories did I see? I don't have time to think about it because someone places their hand on my back.

"Elizabeta," the frail elder from my clan wheezes out. "Please come with us. You are our final champion."

The elders lead me past the platform to a large building just outside the festival grounds. I still have the spear in my hand when they lead me down a long hallway. No one has asked for it back, so I guess I should hang onto it. They open the last door in the hall, and I can see the other champions relaxing inside a comfortable looking room.

"Elizabeta!" Kiku says in surprise. "You've been chosen as well?"

I nod. "Yeah, but it was a lot weirder than what you had to go through."

"W-what happened to your wings?" The question draws everyone's attention to my now golden wings.

"I, um...don't know," I answer truthfully. "I was hoping someone could tell me."

"All questions will be answered in due time," the elderly woman says. I think her name is Marlene. "Everyone please sit down and make yourselves comfortable." We all do as she says. "Good. Now I think the first piece of business is introductions. As you already know, I am elder Marlene of the Bear." She sits slightly hunched over in her chair.

"I am elder Gavin, also of the Bear," the big bearded man says. "I'm training to replace elder Marlene eventually." He's the one who began the ceremony.

"I am elder Selene of the Wolf," the middle aged woman says. She has rather sharp features that make her look kind of strict, but her voice sounds kind and motherly.

"And I am elder Methuselah of the Eagle," the frail elder of my clan says. He holds his wooden cane in his lap as he sits. He's probably the oldest of the elders.

Elder Marlene invites the white haired Bear to speak first, and I assume we'll go around from there.

"Kesesese. My name is Gilbert Beilschmidt and this is my little brother Ludwig," he says as he points to the blonde next to him. "We're Bears." I'm having a tough time believing that the taller one is actually the younger brother.

"My name is Lovino Vargas," the darker haired of the two twins says. "I'm a Wolf."

"Veee~! My name is Feliciano Vargas, and I'm a Wolf just like my older brother! He was born first, but we're still twins! I like pizza and pasta and-"

"Shut up you idiot! No one wants to hear all of that!" Lovino had covered his brother's mouth to stop his rambling, and is now giving Feliciano's head a good shake.

"Um, my name is Kiku Honda, and I am an Eagle," Kiku says shyly. "Nice to meet everyone."

Everyone turns to look at me when it's my turn. Even Feliciano has quieted down. "My name is Elizabeta Héderváry and I'm an Eagle."

"Or you thought you were," elder Methuselah says. "Let us see your animal tattoo."

I pull the collar of the tunic I'm wearing down to show them my tattoo, but it's not there. "What? Where did it go?" Then I remember that odd feeling I got while I was on fire, so I check the other side. Sure enough, my animal tattoo has moved from the right side of my chest to the left, right over my heart.

"What animal is that?" elder Selene asks the other elders. "I've never seen anything like it."

I look down again to see what she's talking about. On closer inspection I also notice it's not a normal Eagle tattoo. It still looks like a bird, but the beak is thinner and longer, and the head is not as thick. The bird also has three distinct feathers coming off the top of its head.

"It's a phoenix," elder Marlene explains. "A symbol of rebirth or renewal." She looks me straight in the eye. "You have been chosen to relive the role of the goddess Matrisus on her quest to save Elarium."

My mouth drops, as do several others. "Y-you mean like in the legend?" I ask in disbelief.

"Exactly," the old lady answers. "The others also play important roles in the quest."

"So you mean we're like the animals the Great Mother had as companions?" Gilbert ask. Marlene nods. "Why do we have to do this? Why can't we just put on that silly play like every other year?"

"Because the shadows are rising," elder Methuselah tells him.

"You mean those things I had to fight off were the shadows from the legend?" I ask. I get several nods. "Then that must mean the cloaked figure is...?"

"The one our Great Mother had to defeat in the final battle." Gavin speaks for the first time in a while. "It's been a thousand years since he was sent back to the underworld. He seems weak now, but his power is gathering. That's why it's important you act quickly."

The six of us look at each other in shock as we try to understand what's being asked of us. We're the ones they want to save all of Elarium?

"There must be some kind of mistake," Lovino mutters under his breath. He's spoken the thoughts of the other five champions.

"There is no mistake!" Methuselah insists in a loud voice. "The sacred relics chose you, and they are linked to the will of our three patron goddesses. They do not make mistakes!" He starts coughing and wheezing from his outburst.

The six of us get rid of any excuses we had for not going on this quest. We don't really have a choice in the matter.

"You must prepare to leave soon," elder Selene tells us. "Haste is of the essence. You must first go through a cleansing ritual, and then we will take you somewhere to be fitted for your quest."

"What say you?" Marlene asks us. There's no answer at first. "What say you?" she insists.

I stand up, and all eyes turn to me. "I say, let's do this thing."


	4. Preparations

I probably shouldn't have been so quick to volunteer for this. When they said "cleansing ritual" they really just meant "vigorous washing". I'm pushed and pulled in a deep tub as several women fuss over me. Usually I would love a day at the spa, but not when they scrub me top to bottom with rough brushes. My skin is all red by the time they're done scrubbing me down.

I run my fingers through my soft brown hair as I wait in a bathrobe for my outfit to arrive. The one good thing out of this madness is that my hair is as smooth as silk, and it smells pretty good too. Actually, I smell pretty good in general. I stop sniffing my hair just as a young girl walks in with the clothes I'm supposed to change into. I ruffle my wings slightly in embarrassment, and I'm glad she didn't see me.

The little girl leads me to a smaller room down the hall. I admire her chestnut colored wings as I follow her. I wonder what clan she's from. The air is cooler in this room and I shiver. She closes the door behind her without saying a word. I feel like a freak or something because the women washing me didn't say anything to me either, but I did notice them staring at my wings a few times. I look at myself in the full length mirror on the wall opposite the door. I let my wings slowly extend out from my back, and look at them carefully. They're the same size and everything as before, but, instead of the cream feathers they used to have, they're a shimmering gold.

I stroke a soft wing before pulling them both back. An angel's wings actually fold very close to their body, and it's hard to even see them unless they're standing sideways. I turn sideways to see how they look from that angle. Still gold, and still not normal. I sigh and begin to untie my bathrobe to change. I pause to look at my tattoo in the mirror too. Instead of the eagle that's been there all my life, I see what elder Marlene called a phoenix. Quickly, I turn away from the mirror and sit on the floor with my head down. I haven't gotten used to the idea of being like the Great Mother yet.

"Isn't there anything left of me?" I whisper to myself.

"Of course, child."

I snap my head up, but there's no one in the room. "W-who's there?" I say, even though I can see there's no one else in the room.

"A friend," the voice answers. I'm getting a little wary of strange voices since the last one turned out to be the enemy of Elarium.

"Show yourself!" I demand. I feel exposed in just a bathrobe, but maybe if I sound confident, I'll be confident.

An odd smoke like substance begins to swirl up from the floor to form a spectral figure in front of me. I stand up to look at it face to face. The figure is female, and an angel like me. I start to feel a little better knowing she's not a shadow.

"Who are you?" I ask the figure.

"I have many names, but most call me the Great Mother," the figure replies.

I look at the ghostly figure in shock. This is the Great Mother Matrisus? She has long flowing hair that almost reaches the floor, and wears a shimmering dress. Her face is soft and kind, but also appears worried. She's not the way I imagined.

"Why are you...um...well..." I don't know how to phrase the question, so I gesture to her smoky looking body with my hands instead.

"Like a ghost?" she finishes for me.

"Um, yeah."

"After my battle with Kirkland I had to use my power to revive my companions," she explains. "In order to do so I had to give up my physical form, and only my conscious remains in Elarium. Sometimes I can manifest myself like this, but never for too long."

"That's right," I say as I remember the legend. "Wait, who's Kirkland?"

The Great Mother looks down. "Arthur Kirkland. The shadow that tried to consume Elarium all those years ago, and the same one that is threatening the land today."

"So the shadow figure I saw today was him?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes. That is why I chose a new group of champions to complete the same quest as I, to stop him once again."

"Why did you pick me?" I blurt out. "I...I don't know if I can do this."

"My dear Elizabeta," she says kindly. She reaches out a ghostly hand and places it on my cheek. "I cannot answer all of your questions now, but I can tell you this. You were born to play this role, but you are still a distinct and unique individual. You must have faith in your abilities, and the abilities of your companions. I will guide you when I can, but if you ever need help, look here." She moves her hand from my cheek and places it over my heart. I look down to see where she's indicating because I can't actually feel her hand.

"What do you mean?" I ask as I look up. The smoke that's forming her figure is slowing starting to dissipate.

"You will know...in time..." The Great Mother's voice fades out as the last of the smoke disappears.

I stare at the spot she once stood for a few moments before continuing to change. My life is never going to be the same, I think to myself as I slip out of the bathrobe. I dress as quickly as I can, then check in the mirror to make sure I look decent. They gave me a new tunic that's a lot sturdier than the one I was wearing. In fact, all of my new clothes, from the pants to the belt to the boots, feel sturdy and highly durable. I'm not sure if that's a good sign of what's to come or not.

I open the door to my room and peek out into the hall. Both rooms are still inside the large building where I met the other champions, but I have no idea where I am. The hallway is empty, so I swing the door open completely, and step out of the room. My eyes are immediately drawn to the large tapestry at the end of the hall. I walk toward it to get a closer look, and realize it's a depiction of the battle against the shadows. Against Kirkland.

My eyes focus on the one angel in the middle of the image. She has long hair and golden wings. That must be the Great Mother, even though the weaved figure doesn't look exactly like the real goddess. I look at the other figures and see two bears, two wolves, and an eagle all fighting shadows along side her. I wonder what it must have been like for them.

"I see you're ready to proceed."

I jump almost three feet into the air. "You scared me!" I say to the person behind me. It turns out to be elder Marlene with a slightly amused look on her face.

"Come with me dear. The other champions are getting their supplies."

I follow her as we walk silently through the large stone halls of the building. There are different tapestries and murals on the walls with images of various places in Elarium. Torches have been secured to the walls in between each image, and flicker as we walk past.

"What is this building exactly?" I ask.

"It was made in preparation of this day," she answers without turning around. "It houses anything the champions could possibly need for their quest. It's been long foretold that you would embark on this journey."

"Oh," I say to her last statement. I guess that's classified elder information because I never knew this was supposed to happen.

Elder Marlene stops at a large set of wooden double doors. "The others are already inside." She gestures with a hand for me to enter.

I push open the doors, and all eyes fall on me.

"Oh! Elizabeta!" Kiku exclaims in surprise.

"It's about time you showed up!" the one with the white hair yells. I think his name is Gilbert. "Pack up some gear!"

I walk to the nearest table that has only a large leather bag on it. I assume the others already grabbed theirs. I look around to see what kind of stuff they have for us to take on our trip. One section of the room is mostly food, and the Vargas twins are digging around in it. Another section is mostly clothes and different fabrics. The third is various random items that don't fit in the other two categories like pots, torches, medicine, and soap. Gilbert and Kiku are sorting through stuff there.

I'm about to join them when I see the tall blonde Bear, Ludwig, working on something at a table. He's busily writing something on a piece of yellowed parchment paper next to a candle. This makes me curious, so I go over to see what he's up to. I crane my neck around his broad shoulders to read what he's writing. It's a very organized list of supplies broken down into groups of six. Each group is labeled with the name of someone in our group.

"That's a pretty good system," I tell Ludwig. "We should use it. Everyone is just grabbing stuff left and right."

He gives me a sideways glance. "Do you think so?"

"Yes! It's efficient and practical. Just what we need on a journey like this."

He nods in agreement. "If only my brother thought so. He thinks my lists are a waste of time." A small, sad smile tugs at his lips.

I pick up the list and make my way to the center of the room. "Okay everyone, listen up! Ludwig's come up with a plan for what we should pack, so everyone empty your bags."

Everyone turns to look at me. Kiku and Feliciano begins unpacking their bags, but the other two look at me stubbornly.

"Why should we listen to you?" Lovino asks rather nastily. "Do you think you can boss us around now that you're supposed to be the Great Mother?"

"No," I say in shock. "I just thought Ludwig had a good idea. It makes sense to pack efficiently, and only what we really need."

"I-I agree with Elizabeta," Kiku says nervously. "It would be better-"

"Stay out of it pipsqueak," Gilbert growls.

Soon the room is full of yelling, accusations, and pointing fingers. I look around in dismay. This is the group I'm supposed to lead to save Elarium? They can't even cooperate long enough to pack.

"Everyone quiet!" I shout over the noise. It becomes silent as several angry eyes focus on me. "Look, I know this is weird for everyone, and none of you asked to be here. But the fate of everything we know hangs in the balance here. We need to do this, and if we're going to stand a chance at being successful we need to make sure we bring the right things."

"But-"

I harden my gaze and glare at Lovino. He closes his mouth without another word. "Please, just listen to what Ludwig has, and who knows? Maybe it'll make sense to you too." I give everyone one more pointed look. "Or we can do this the hard way."

No one opposes the idea anymore, so I hand Ludwig his paper back so he can explain.

"Well, the general idea is that we only take what we need," he explains. "I calculated how much food we'll need, and we can easily find more on the way. I've also made a list of supplies we'll definitely need to bring. Then I took all of that and split it into groups of six, with each group representing one of us. Some of us are carrying heavier things because we're stronger than others. That way we can maximize our rate of movement and not have anyone fall behind."

Everyone stares at the tall Bear.

"That's...actually pretty smart," Lovino mumbles. "Stupid Bear bastard...making me look like an idiot..."

"Wow West. Are your plans always this good?" Gilbert asks as he takes the paper out of Ludwig's hand.

I smile at my victory. Maybe this group can get along together after all.

The six of us pack everything according to Ludwig's plan. Ludwig, Gilbert, and Lovino are carrying small tents because they're the strongest in the group. The others, including me, are carrying more of the cooking equipment and extra clothes.

Elder Methuselah peeks his head inside around the time we're finishing up. "Ready to move on?" he asks in his frail voice.

He leads us to another part of the building, and stops at a small wooden door. It pushes open easily, and reveals a large room full of scrolls and books of all kinds.

"This is the record room. Here you may find some helpful reference materials," Methuselah explains as he walks back out into the hall. He closes the door softly behind him.

All of us simultaneously look at Ludwig. He stares back at us before becoming flustered.

"W-why are you all staring me?"

"Well, we're waiting to hear your plan for this," I explain. "Obviously you're the best one for this kind of thing."

He nods thoughtfully. After a few moments of deep though, he walks to a shelf full of scrolls and begins digging around. "We'll need several maps. One of Elarium, one of the Bears' land, one of the Wolves' land, and one of the Eagles' land."

Lovino and Kiku begin to search for the requested items.

"We also need rolls of blank paper," Ludwig instructs Feliciano. The energetic Wolf bounces away to find some. "Here," Ludwig says as he hands me a scroll. "I thought you might want this."

"What is it?" I ask curiously. I unfurl a section of it to get a better look.

"It's a copy of the prophecy," he explains. "It might be useful."

"Thank you," I say as I look up from the scroll. Ludwig is a pretty thoughtful guy. I slip the scroll into my brown leather pack.

Lovino, Kiku, and Feliciano all return, with scrolls clutched in their hands, at the same time. We find space for them in Kiku's pack. Elder Gavin appears in the doorway as soon as we're finished in the record room. How do they know just when to appear? He leads us to another section of the building we haven't been in yet. We stop at a set of large double doors that have iron trim, and big iron rings on the front.

"This is the armory," Gavin tells us as he pulls the heavy doors open. "You can stock up on all sorts of weapons here. Enjoy."

"Enjoy?" I murmur to myself. Men and their weapons.

He wasn't kidding about the "all sorts of weapons" part. There's practically anything I could imagine stocked on the shelves and walls of the room. Swords, rapiers, and cutlasses fill a large shelf to the left. The far wall is covered in all sorts of maces, axes, spears, javelins, and war hammers. Small weapons, close combat weapons, and throwing weapons are on a small shelf on the right, and next to that is a shelf full of archery equipment. There are also several tables in the center of the room that contain other odd weapons, or extra weapons that don't fit on their respective shelves.

The Wolf twins head straight for the swords, and the other brothers go for the large selection of axes. I shudder when I think about what they could do with those weapons. We've all been trained in handling weapons since we were young, but it's never been something I was particularly fond of.

"I think I'm going to look at bows," Kiku tells me.

I watch him walk away before looking around for anything I want to carry. I've never been good with large or heavy weapons, so I avoid those. I browse through the shelf with smaller weapons on them, and realize they have a lot of stuff I've never seen before. There are small blades or poisonous darts I can hide in my feathers that can be flung at enemies with one powerful stroke of my wings. At least, that's what the instructions on a small piece of paper say I should do with them. I don't think I'll use those.

I move on to a large collection of small knives next to some throwing stars. I pick up a couple and judge their weight. I'm actually pretty good with a knife, and can wield or throw one with skill. I find a sleek pair of throwing knives that I like, and look around for something to aim for. Gilbert is standing next to a large wooden shield that would make an excellent target. I pull my arm back, and throw the knife across the room. It imbeds itself, blade first, into the shield, only a hair's breadth from Gilbert's nose.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" he yells as I come to retrieve the knife. "Are you trying to hit me?"

"Obviously not since I hit the shield," I reply. I pry the knife out of the wood and give it a good look. Not a scratch. "If I was aiming for you, I would've hit you."

"I guess you're right," Gilbert mumbles. He fixes his striking red eyes on me. "You're actually pretty good."

"Thanks," I say with a smile. "I think I'll hold onto these." I slip a knife into each of my boots.

Gilbert watches me walk back to the knives with an odd expression on his face. I don't dwell on it because another knife catches my eye. This one has a sheath with it, and I carefully pull it out. It's a beautiful silver knife with a blade as long as my hand. I grip the handle comfortably, and give the air a few good slashes. Satisfied, I sheath the blade and strap it to my belt.

Nothing else appeals to me, so I wait for everyone else to finish selecting their weapons. Feliciano and Lovino have both settled on a steel sword each, which is a common weapon for a Wolf, and Lovino also has a set of knives strapped to his thighs. Gilbert and Ludwig have decided to carry axes, which is a traditional weapon for Bears. Ludwig has a large, double edged axe, that takes two hands to wield, strapped under his pack. Gilbert has two, single edged axes sheathed around his waist.

The last one to get weapons is Kiku. He has a sleek, dark wood bow, and quiver full of arrows, attached to either side of his pack. I know he's an amazing shot, so I feel confident with his choice. He's currently looking at some of the odd weapons on the tables. Something catches his eye because he moves to a different table and picks something up. We watch him unsheathe a slender katana, and hold it up to the candle light coming from a few large chandeliers.

"Wow Kiku...do you know how to use that?" I ask him.

"Yes, I think so," he answers with a nod. "I've never seen one so well crafted before." He slides the beautiful sword back in its sheath, and ties it around his waist.

"All ready?" elder Selene asks from the doorway. No one noticed her enter.

"As ready as we'll ever be," I say on behalf of the group.

"This is for you as well," the elder says as she hands me an odd looking spear.

I recognize the strange designs from the Great Mother's spear, but this one is much shorter. Otherwise it has the same wooden shaft, bone spearhead, and odd carvings.

"What is this? It looks like the spear I had." I look at Selene for clarification.

"It is the spear," she says with a small grin. "It extends at the will of the Great Mother. Perhaps you'll be able to bring out its final form as well."

I look down at the short spear in my hands, and scrunch my eyebrows together. How am I supposed to do that? A memory flashes across my mind of making the spear extend by holding it out and sliding one hand down the shaft. I look around in surprise. Is the Great Mother helping me like she said she would?

There can be nothing to lose from trying, so I hold the spear a little ways away from me. I can feel energy pulsing through the weapon. I slide my hand down the shaft, and the spear lengthens as if by magic.

"How did you do that Elizabeta?" Feliciano asks me with wide, excited eyes.

"I don't know," I admit. "I just kind of...did." I slide my hand back the other way, and the spear shrinks in size. Now it's back to the perfect size to strap on the top of my pack.

The other three elders appear from around the corner, and join elder Selene. They carry different color cloaks, which they hand out to us. The Bears get burnt red cloaks, the Wolves get forest green cloaks, and Kiku gets dark cerulean cloak. Mine appears gray at first, but is actually a dull silver color. We pull our wings in tighter as we put our cloaks on over our packs.

"Your journey will not be easy," elder Methuselah cautions. "You must remain vigilant!" He coughs a few times after giving his warning.

"The shadow will not rest until you defeat it. You must not let it win," elder Selene says sternly.

"Be strong. Remember your lineage, and your training," elder Gavin advises.

"And above all," elder Marlene adds, "have faith in each other and the goddesses. They will watch over you as you watch over one another." She looks at each of us in turn. "Good luck my dears. We will hope and pray for your safety."

We salute the elders in thanks, and in turn they return the gesture.

"MarryAnn will show you out," Selene says. She gestures to a young girl that I recognize as the girl that brought me my clothes. The girl bows. "Good luck to you all," the elder says kindly.

The six of us turn away from the four elders, and follow the girl through the large building, unsure of what we're about to set out to do.


	5. Departure

We don't get far before we run into our first problem.

"Everyone!" Feliciano calls from the back of the group. We all stop and wait for him to catch up since he walks so slowly. His spirit animal lopes next to him as he jogs. "Italy here asked a really good question," Feliciano says.

"Oh really," his twin says skeptically.

"Yes!" Feliciano insists. "He asked me where we're going."

The six of us look at each other with blank stares. We hadn't thought about that.

"Hmm, that is important," Kiku says thoughtfully.

"Maybe we should go to the Bears' territory first," I suggest.

"Why would we do that? I don't want to go anywhere near those Bear bastards' land," Lovino snarls.

"Hey! You got something against Bears?" Gilbert says angrily as he approaches the shorter Wolf.

"Maybe. Maybe not," Lovino wrinkles his nose. "Now get your ugly face away from mine."

"Oh, you did it now," Gilbert spits as he grabs the front of Lovino's shirt.

"Guys! Knock it off!" I shout before anything else happens. "Now isn't the time! We need to get moving." I notice the sun is starting to peek over the horizon. Looks like we had been awake all night preparing.

"I agree with Elizabeta," Ludwig says. He pulls his brother away from Lovino. "We need to move, and we need to go to the Bear Temple."

Gilbert's face immediately shifts to curiosity at the mention of the Temple. "Why there West?"

"Yeah, why there?" I ask. Ludwig must be on to something.

"If we're supposed to be recreating the journey the Great Mother went on, then we have to go to each territory in order from Bear, Wolf, and Eagle," he explains. He pauses to make sure we're following his logic. "Well, the legend doesn't specify what they do there, but it does say they get blessings from the goddesses."

I whip out my copy of the legend. " _Matrisus and her companions visited the homes of each child to gain the blessings of the goddesses and the land_ ," I read out loud.

"Yes, and where's the best place to get a goddess's blessing?" Ludwig asks with a raised eyebrow.

"The Bear Temple," Gilbert concludes with a big grin. "You're a genius West!"

"And I was trying to tell you the same thing the whole time," I mumble to myself, but I'm ignored, again.

We find which way is southwest, and begin walking again. The ceremonial grounds are a small circle of land in the very center of Elarium, and the territories of each clan surround it on three sides. The Bears to the southwest, the Wolves to the southeast, and the Eagles in the north.

I can see the mountains of the Bears as we reach the edge of the ceremonial land. The forest looms directly ahead, and we pause before entering. Everyone is exhausted from getting no sleep the night before, and the sun is already half way to its zenith.

"I can't take another step," Feliciano whines as he flops to the ground. His wolf gives his face a few licks.

"Yeah, I'm tired too," I say with a yawn. "Maybe we should stop here."

"We can't," Kiku says as he stops next to me. "We should keep walking while it's still light out." He has a map out and is plotting our course. Looks like he's our official guide on this journey, which is fine because he has a knack for that sort of thing.

"I agree with Kiku," Ludwig says in his deep voice. "We should keep moving."

We grudgingly continue, and trudge through our fatigue. We stop twice to eat, and once at a stream to fill our water pouches. Our group stops for the day as the sun begins to set, so we put up our tents and light a fire.

"Sweet relief," I sigh as I settle in front of the fire. I give my wings a good stretch, and they glitter in the firelight. I notice a few people staring, and I pull them back self consciously.

The silence is only disturbed by Feliciano snoring in front of the fire, his light brown wings sprawled out with the rest of his limbs. Italy, his spirit animal, has disappeared, but other people's are sitting with their respective owner. Gilbert is sitting on the opposite side of the fire from me, and he's talking to a large, snowy white bear, who's fur matches Gilbert's pure white wings. I can't hear what he's saying, but I can hear him laughing. The bear must have said something funny, but I can't hear since spirit animals converse with their partners telepathically.

A pang of jealousy stings my heart, and I look away. Having a spirit animal is something I've longed for my entire life. I try to distract myself by looking around our little camp. Ludwig and Kiku are looking at maps and planning our course. Those two seem to get along very well, which can't be said about certain other members of our group. Lovino is sitting by himself at the edge of camp, and I decide to join him.

"Hey," I say quietly as I sit next to him. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping watch," he says curtly.

"Oh, do you think it's necessary?"

"Of course it's necessary, idiot," he growls. "What if the shadows come back?"

I hadn't thought about that. "I guess you're right...wait, you heard about that?"

"Yeah, they told us while you we're taking forever to change," Lovino says with a sideways glance at me.

"Oh," I say. I don't know what to say to him. He's so distant and cold.

"If you're just looking for someone to talk to, you should go talk to that Bear bastard over there," he says with a glance in Gilbert's direction. "I'm trying to keep watch, so quit distracting me."

I get up with a sigh and walk back to the fire. My attempt to be friendly didn't end as well as I wanted it to. I debate between sitting back down and just going to bed. I decide on going to bed, and head toward the tent I'm sharing with Kiku. A shiver runs down my spine as I get closer to the edge of the woods. I pause to peer into its depth, and I swear I can see glowing red eyes looking back at me, but I can't see who they belong to.

"Hello...Elizabeta..." a familiar voice says. "I'm back."

I stumble backward as shadows burst from the forest. These are not the same as the ones I fought before. They fly thought the air with loud shrieks and look like large bats. I don't have my spear on me, but I do have my knife, so I slide it out and start blocking attacks from the shadow's claws. More of the humanoid shadows I fought before slowly emerge from the forest as well.

Gilbert has joined me with his two axes, and his spirit animal does its best to bat the flying shadows out of the air. Ludwig and Kiku pull out their weapons, but Lovino has beat them to the fight. He's a brown blur that brings destruction as it weaves between foes. Shadow a turn to dust under his lighting fast blade.

"Someone get in the air!" he shouts as he takes out some more walking shadows. "Hurry up!"

Gilbert's spirit animal fades away as he bursts open his white wings, and takes off with a powerful downward stroke. He engages the flying shadows with taunts and aerial maneuvers.

"Come and catch me! Kesesesesesese!" he shouts as he flys rings around the winged shadows. He hacks and slices them with his axes until they turn to dust.

Ludwig and Kiku hold their own. Ludwig wields his double edged axe as if it weighs nothing. He hacks shadows in half with one swing, and uses the same momentum to spin the axe and take out another walking shadow. Even more impressive is Kiku. He has his bow out and drops shadow after shadow out of the sky until the walking shadows surround him. He lets his bow fall to the ground to as he draws his shining katana. Three quick slashes leave the whole group of shadows cut in half before they dissolve into dust. I guess Kiku really does know how to handle that thing.

They continue to fight impressively, but they're becoming overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of shadows that continue to pour out of the woods. I'm so distracted watching them that I don't notice an incoming attack until the last minute.

"Get your head out of the clouds and pay attention!" Lovino shouts over the screeching and growling of the shadows. "We're under attack if you haven't noticed!"

Lovino and I are fighting back to back, but there's only so much I can do with just a knife. I wish with all my might that I had my spear.

"We're not going to make it," I cry in frustration. What am I supposed to do in this situation?

That's when the words of the Great Mother come into my mind. "...if you ever need help, look here."

I think about what she could mean. How is my heart supposed to help? I block another attack from the claws that extend out of a shadow's arms where its hands should be, and slice at its neck. Maybe she didn't mean my heart at all. Maybe she was talking about my animal tattoo, and that could only mean one thing.

I concentrate on the markings over my heart, and call out in my mind. "Spirit animal that is bound to me, whoever you are, please lend me your strength!"

I didn't expect anything to happen because it's never worked before when I tried, but this time things are different. I feel a warmth spread from my tattoo, and a light radiates from my animal marking. The light moves from my chest and floats in front of me before bursting into flames. A large red bird erupts from the flames and screeches into the night.

The fighting pauses as everyone looks at my manifested spirit animal. The bird is covered in deep red feathers that emit their own glow. It has a slender neck and beak, just like my tattoo, and has three distinct gold feathers that stick up off its head. This bird must be a phoenix. It shines brightly in the night, and I see a fire burning deep in its eyes.

"I am Hungary, your spirit animal," a female voice says in my mind. I don't know how, but I recognize it as the voice of the bird in front of me. "I am sent by the Great Mother to be your companion. I am very honored to meet you, Elizabeta."

I look at the magnificent bird in wonder. "Please help us," I plead.

"Don't let the bird attack!" Kirkland shrieks from the forest. His eyes blaze angrily. "Get it! Kill the bird!"

Flying shadows and walking ones alike swarm my phoenix in an attempt to prevent it from helping us, but they're no match for my companion. The phoenix shoots straight up in the air, and shrouds herself in fire. She dives straight down like a blazing arrow and incinerates many of the shadows. The shadows begin to retreat back into the darkness of the forest, forgetting all about us.

"You may have won," Kirkland growls. "But don't...get too confident...I'll be back, and I'll be...even stronger...just you wait." His eyes flicker out, and a quiet settles over our camp.

"That was close," Gilbert says as he lands on the ground. "You really saved us back there Elizabeta."

"It wasn't me," I say proudly. "It was Hungary."

We all look up at the phoenix circling above us in the sky. Her beautiful red and gold tail streaming out behind her like a trail of fire. She slowly descends, and lands on my shoulder.

"Thank you," I tell her. "You saved us."

"It is my duty to protect you," her voice says in mind. "I will come whenever you call." She fades in a burst of flame and smoke.

"Is that your spirit animal Elizabeta?" Kiku asks me.

"Yes," I answer with a big smile.

"I'm so happy for you," he says as he returns my smile. We beam at each other for a few moments.

"What's the big deal?" Gilbert asks confused. "Everyone has a spirit animal."

I shake my head sadly. "Not me. I haven't had one...until now." I smile again as I think of Hungary.

"What's going on? Veeee~" Feliciano asks sleepily. He had slept through the whole thing, and now he's rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"You missed the whole fight, idiot!" Lovino yells at him. Feliciano flinches away from the loud voice.

"It's okay Lovino," I say. I look at Feliciano and smile. "We handled the Walkers and Fliers just fine."

"Walkers? Fliers? Is that what you're calling them?" Ludwig becomes involved in the conversation for the first time.

"Well, I though those names fit. We can't just call them shadows forever. It's not specific enough," I explain. Ludwig nods in agreement.

A silence falls over the group as we reflect on what just happened. My battle high is wearing off, and I can feel my muscles beginning to protest standing.

"I think we should all go to bed," I say. "It's been a long day."

There's murmurs of agreement as people walk to their tents. Gilbert puts the fire out, and our camp is shrouded in darkness. It creeps me out a little, but I tell myself that the shadows are gone.

Lovino walks back to the edge of camp. His spirit animal appears next to him as he walks. It's a dark brown wolf with dark caramel colored eyes like Lovino. "I'll keep first watch," he calls behind his back. "I can't count on any of you to stay awake," I hear him grumble to himself as he sits down.

I'm not sure how I feel about Lovino yet. He seems rude and mean, but I think deep down he really does care.

"Go to bed already idiot!" he yells at me. "I'm not going to carry you if you fall asleep on your feet tomorrow! Sheesh, everyone here is a complete moron except for me."

Okay, maybe he's not as caring as I thought. I slip into my little tent before I get yelled at again. I lay on the side opposite from Kiku, and close my eyes wearily. The last thing I hear before falling asleep is the lone howl of a wolf coming from the edge of camp.


	6. From Woods to Mountains

The further we press into Bear Territory, the more mountainous the land becomes. The southwest portion of Elarium, where the Bears live, is known for its dense forests and gigantic mountain ranges, and we're experiencing it all.

It's been three days since we got attacked by Kirkland and his shadow forces, and we've made pretty good progress. Ludwig keeps us moving at a fast pace. He's like a drill sergeant or something. Kiku and I can keep up pretty well, so we're usually in the front by Ludwig. Plus Kiku needs to help set our course because he has the maps. Behind us is Lovino because he doesn't want to walk in the front with the "Bear bastard". Feliciano and Gilbert bring up the rear, mostly because the former is unmotivated, and the latter is just plain lazy.

"Hey! Slow down up there!" Gilbert yells from the back.

"No!" I shout back. "You two catch up!"

"We're too tired!" Feliciano calls from behind Gilbert.

"Quit whining and hurry up before I kick you both in the rear!" Lovino shouts. This ends all discussions, and the two slowpokes book it into high gear. They can actually move really fast when they want to.

We stop in a rocky clearing to eat lunch. The further we've gotten the sparser the forest has become, so it gets pretty hot when we can't find any shade. I sit by Ludwig and Kiku in a small patch of shade as I munch on my share of beef jerky.

"So what's it like to be a Bear, Ludwig?" I ask him before chewing some more jerky. The dry meat is hard to chew, so I gnaw on it while I listen to Ludwig.

"Well, we're all rather large in build, so the buildings are usually very big," he says thoughtfully. "We train with battle axes mostly, and sometimes broad swords too. When we're not doing that we're usually doing other strength training or battle strategy."

"Is there anything that doesn't involve training?" I ask. It seems like that's all they do.

Ludwig thinks for quite a long time. I'm afraid he's going to say no, so I switch the subject. "What are the people like?"

"That depends on where they come from. The Bears from the mountains are larger, and they are better warriors but not good at anything agricultural. My father is one of these kinds of Bears," Ludwig says with an amused grin. "The Bears from the forest are not as large, and they excel at strategy more than brutal strength. That's not to say they aren't strong either. My mother is a forest Bear, and she could probably beat my father in an arm wrestle any day." He shudders slightly at the idea.

"So you take after both of your parents quite a bit then," I say. Ludwig smiles slightly, and I assume he sees it in himself too. "What about Gilbert? Who's he like?"

"Brother?" Ludwig repeats with knit eyebrows. "He looks a lot like our mother, but he's as bull headed and obnoxious as our father. He never thinks before acting, and he's always getting in trouble." I don't doubt anything Ludwig just said. "But he's also very brave. He'll fight hard for something he cares about, and he doesn't give up when he sets his mind to something." Ludwig smirks. "That may or may not be a good thing."

I think about what Ludwig just said as I watch Gilbert eat an apple he picked out of the tree he's sitting in. I didn't realize he's the kind of person Ludwig says he is. Although I do remember he was the first one to help me fight when we were attacked by the shadows.

Gilbert's red eyes flick toward me, and our eyes meet for a brief moment. I look away quickly out of embarrassment, but not before I could see the intensity in his gaze. I blush when I hear him chuckle from his perch in the apple tree.

"Are you not feeling well Elizabeta?" Kiku asks. "Your face is quite red."

"I-I'm fine!" I stammer. "I just spent too much time in the sun."

Kiku accepts my answer and goes back to eating the nuts and berries he has bundled in some cloth. The forest had a lot of tasty things growing in it, and we had spent some time gathering food as we walked.

"So, where are we going next?" I ask Kiku, our navigator.

He rummages around in his pack, and pulls out the map of the Bears' territory. Theres a line marking where we've already been, and I notice we've been avoiding a lot of the cities. Ludwig says it's because we don't want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.

"We're right here," Kiku explains as he points to a spot on the map. "I'm thinking if we keep up this pace, we should arrive in Monteurbem by tonight." He points to a large dot a little ways away from the spot he indicated we are.

"Monteurbem?" I ask curiously.

"One of the largest cities in Bear Territory," Ludwig clarifies. "It's the largest settlement you'll find in the mountains because the Bears that live up there are mostly roaming tribes. Monteurbem is the last civilization we'll see for a while."

"Can we get a place to stay instead of camping out? I ask hopefully. There's only so much sleeping on the ground I can do.

"That is the plan," Kiku tells me as he rolls up the map. "We can also stock up on supplies, but we have to

get there first."

I jump to my feet excitedly. "Alright gang! Let's get moving! I don't know about you, but I definitely want to sleep in a bed tonight!"

I put on my pack before jumping high into the air. At the peak of my arc I unfurl my wings and let them catch the breeze. I haven't flown in a long time, and I've been dying to feel the wind in my long hair.

"Come one everyone! We've got a city to get to!" I yell down to my group. They pack their things away, and one by one, they join me in the air.

"Veeeee~!" Feliciano exclaims as he extends his reddish brown wings. "It's so nice up here!"

"Kesesesesesese! I'll race someone to that tree over there!" Gilbert shouts when he reaches the same altitude as the rest of us.

"You're on!" I shout back, and the two of us take off for the tree.

"Maybe flying wasn't the best idea," I say several hours later as we trudge along a path up a steep slope. The setting sun colors the sky a bright orange, and I squint to keep the light out of my eyes. We had flown for a while, but we got tired quickly from all the effort it takes to carry our gear along with ourselves.

Angels can jump very high and fly for long distances, but that distance depends on many variables. First, Eagles tend to be stronger fliers than the other two clans, but Wolves are the better jumpers. Second, weather conditions, wind speed, and wind direction can also change the distance someone can go at one time. Third, the angel's weight needs to be considered. The heavier the person, the faster they'll fatigue. That means that with all of our extra gear, it's not efficient to leap or to fly at all. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I forgot all about that.

"Ugh, who's idiotic idea was it to fly again?" Lovino asks rather snottily.

I decide it's best to ignore him, and focus on walking. I'm getting short on breath, so most of my effort goes into that and placing one foot in front of the other.

"Look at it this way," Ludwig says to me. "The time we gained flying makes up for the time we're losing walking this slowly."

What he says doesn't make me feel any better, but I appreciate the effort. "Thanks, but I feel bad that we wasted all that energy. I feel especially bad for you and Gilbert because...I know flying isn't really your thing." It's hard to talk and breathe at the same time.

"Don't worry about us Elizabeta," Ludwig says with a tired smile. "We're Bears. We're the strongest of the three clans."

"Yeah...I guess you're right," I say and return his smile. I don't hear what he says next because I pass out from fatigue.

The first thing I notice when my consciousness starts returning is that the whole world seems to be rocking up and down. I slowly open my tired eyes to find out what's going on. I look up and see the side of Gilbert's face. He's carrying me piggyback between his wings.

"Gilbert?" I ask. I'm really confused now. "What's going on?"

"You passed out stupid," he replies.

"Well yeah," I retort. "I meant, why are you carrying me?"

"We couldn't just leave you back there, and we couldn't stop and wait for you to wake up if we want to get to Monteurbem by tonight."

"Oh, that's right," I say when I remember our plan. It's twilight now, so I must have been out for maybe an hour. "I can walk now. You can put me down."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Gilbert tells me with a grin. He gives me a sideways glance. "The awesome me can handle carrying you for a while. Besides, we're almost there, and Lovino carried you for a while too."

"Really?" I ask in shock. That's funny because he said he wouldn't carry me the other day.

"Yeah, and Ludwig's been carrying our bags."

I look for the tall Bear, and I spot him a little ways ahead of us carrying three packs. "Oh no," I say guiltily. "Put me down so I can carry my own bag."

"I said don't worry about it," Gilbert says forcefully. His tone leaves no room to argue. "You're in no condition to be walking, and West could carry more and still be fine."

I shift slightly and tighten my hold around Gilbert's neck. Ludwig had been right about his older brother having a one track mind. "Maybe I should've let you win that race. Then I wouldn't have been so tired."

"You didn't win that race, I did!"

"No, I'm pretty sure I did."

"In your dreams! I beat you by a mile," Gilbert insists.

I let out a small laugh, which makes Gilbert chuckle too. "Fine, I'll let you win this time."

"I told you, I really did-"

Gilbert's cut off when he almost runs into Lovino.

"Watch it!" the Wolf says in an irritated voice. "I knew you Bears were idiots but I didn't know you we're klutzes too."

I feel Gilbert tense up, but he doesn't say anything. His wings ruffle in annoyance, and a few soft feathers brush my face. I breathe in the musky scent of the deep woods that clings to Gilbert as his wings disturb the air in front of me. His smell is comforting yet intoxicating at the same time.

"Now is not the time to argue," Kiku says in his calm voice. "We've made it to Monteurbem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Meanings for Names:
> 
> Monteurbem: formed using monte urbem (mountain city)


	7. Confessions in the Dark

I struggle to see the city from over Gilbert's shoulder, so I have him put me down. I'm met with one of the most magnificent views I've ever seen. A gigantic city sprawls between two large mountain peaks and creates the illusion that the city is growing out if the earth itself. Even though the sun has already set, there is still a glow that I realize is coming from the light in the buildings.

"Wow," I breathe. "That's amazing."

"Humph," Lovino snorts. "I've seen better."

"Just shut it for once will ya?" Gilbert says threateningly. "It's been a long day, so let's just find a place to crash, and West and I can give you a tour tomorrow."

"You've been here before?" I ask the two Bear brothers.

"Quite a bit," Ludwig answers as we begin our decent into Monteurbem. "We would always stop here before taking a trip into the mountains for training." There's that word again. I'm starting to think maybe that's all Bears think about.

We reach the bottom of the steep slope that leads into the city, and I look around at the oddly large buildings. Ludwig wasn't kidding about that. A few people give us with odd looks, but we're mostly ignored. I grin excitedly as Ludwig and Gilbert discuss where we should go.

"We could stay with some cousins of father's," Ludwig suggests.

"Nah, they're way too annoying. I get a headache just thinking about them," Gilbert replies with a wince. "Let's just find an inn or a tavern that's cheap."

"Where do you suggest then? We have to find a place to accommodate all six of us." Ludwig raises a quizzical eyebrow at his older brother.

"The Dancing Bear is nearby," the albino suggests. "Or we could check out that one place with the giant tree we stayed at a few years back."

"You mean The Maple Manor?"

"Yeah! That place was pretty awesome," Gilbert says with a big grin.

"Alright if you've picked a place then let's go because I'm going to pass out again if I don't get in a bed soon," I tell the two.

We follow the Bears through the maze like city to a building with a wide, red roof. The thing that makes it stand out most is not the roof, but the fact that it's been built in the shade of a tall maple tree. I swear I've never seen one so big before. It puts the abnormally large buildings around it to shame.

"That tree is gigantic!" I exclaim.

"They think it's one of the first trees that ever started growing around here," Gilbert tells me. "That's pretty awesome when you think about how few trees there are up here to begin with."

I marvel at the tree for a while longer before following the group inside the inn. The interior is furnished with wooden furniture that contrasts the stone used in the building itself. There's a fire pit in the middle of the room that fights off the chill of the evening. Ludwig approaches the lady behind the counter while the rest of us look around.

"I never knew wooden benches could be so comfortable," Feliciano sighs contently as he sits down. Lovino sits next to him with folded arms, but he doesn't say anything.

"How lovely," Kiku comments as he admires a painting on the wall. It's an image of the huge tree in the fall. The tree's leaves have turned red and match the roof of the inn.

"They have enough room for us, but it's going to be a bit crowded," Ludwig announces when he's done at the counter. He holds up two keys, and there's only one thing that can mean. "It's salmon season, so it's been very busy here, and I could only get two rooms."

"I don't care as long as I don't have to be in the same room as you stupid Bears," Lovino pipes up from the couch.

"Well it's three to a room," I say. "If Lovino and Feliciano go in one room, and Ludwig and Gilbert go in another, there shouldn't be any problems, right?"

Lovino looks at me with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Then it's settled," I say with a tired smile.

A while later, I'm sitting on one of the two beds in the Vargas's room waiting for Feliciano to get back with food for us to eat. I told Kiku he should go with the Beilschmidts because he and Ludwig get along so well. Unfortunately, that means I'm stuck with Mr. Crabby Pants.

Lovino has been moping the entire time since we've gotten our rooms, and it's really starting to bother me. I watch him mumble things to himself as he paces around the room.

"Seriously Lovino, just settle down," I tell him for the third time.

"Leave me alone," he grumbles. At least I got a response this time.

"Food's here!" Feliciano announces happily as he walks through the door. "Ludwig's sure strict about how much we can eat. He won't let me carry any of the bags with food in it."

"Well he did catch you snacking out of one once, remember?" I ask him with a smile.

"It's not my fault that I get hungry," he replies with a frown. He must be thinking about the scolding Ludwig gave him. "I didn't even eat that much."

I laugh and pat the spot next to me on the bed. Feliciano immediately smiles and sits down next to me. He places the apples, jerky, and traveling biscuits he has bundled in a cloth down on the bed.

"Come get some food Lovino," I call to him as I munch on a biscuit. They're really dry, but they fill me up nicely.

Lovino stops pacing long enough to grab an apple and some jerky, and then continues his back and forth pacing.

"Can you stop that and just eat already?" I ask him in an exasperated tone.

He stops walking with his back toward the two of us on the bed. "I'm going outside," he says without turning around. He walks out of the room and slams the door.

"What's his problem," I murmur under my breath as I take another bite of my biscuit.

"Brother doesn't like it here," Feliciano says with an unhappy expression. "He doesn't like being by so many Bears."

"So I've noticed." I take a long drink of water after finishing my dry biscuit. "What's the big deal?"

Feliciano looks down sadly. "It's probably better if he tells you. He'll get mad if he finds out I said anything."

"Okay," I reply as I pick up an apple. "Do you dislike the Bears too Feliciano?"

"No, not the way Lovi does," he says. He thinks about what he said and shakes his head. "What I really mean is that I don't dislike them at all. They're kinda scary, but they're not bad."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I say with a reassuring smile. I take a bite of my apple and chew thoughtfully. What could Lovino hold against the Bears?

"It was hard at first, but I'm not angry or sad about it anymore," Feliciano tells me with a small smile. "I wish Lovi could get over it too." His smile fades as quickly as it came.

"I'm sure he will Feliciano." I actually have no idea, but I don't want to upset him more than he already is.

"You think so?" he asks. He perks up at the idea.

"Yeah, I do," I tell him with a nod.

Feliciano accepts my answer with a big smile, but it's quickly replaced by a huge yawn. "Time for bed, veee~!"

I also yawn at seeing him yawn. "I guess so." I get up off the bed and stretch while the energetic Wolf puts away what remains of our dinner. I give my sore wings a good stretch too. "Goodnight Feliciano," I say as I blow out one of the candles lighting our room.

"Goodnight Elizabeta." I hear the rustling of blankets as he gets into bed. "Elizabeta?"

"Yes?"

"Can you come here?" he asks in a quiet voice. I blow out the other candle, and carefully make my way to his bedside in the dark.

"What is it Feliciano?"

"Can you just stay here until I fall asleep?" he asks me. "I don't like being alone."

"Sure," I tell him with a smile. He smiles back as I sit on the floor next to his bed. He's laying on his side since it's hard for an angel to sleep on his or her back because of the wings, and I feel his warm hand wrap around mine. I give it a light squeeze.

"Elizabeta?"

"Yeah?"

"You can call me Feli," he whispers. "I like that better than Feliciano, but brother won't call me that."

"Okay Feli, but that means you have to call me Liza. Deal?"

"Deal," he agrees happily.

"Goodnight Feli."

"Goodnight Liza...veeeeee~"

I must have fallen asleep right there on the floor because I'm startled awake by the sound of the door opening. I look up to see Lovino silhouetted against the light from the hall. He closes the door, which shrouds the room in darkness once again.

"Lovino?"

Lovino lets out a string of profanities. "Jeez woman! You scared me! What are you doing hiding behind Feliciano's bed?"

"I must have fallen asleep back there," I explain in a whisper. I walk around the bed Feli is sleeping in, and stop a few feet away from the older twin. "Where have you been?"

"None of your business." He walks past me and sits on the empty bed. I watch him start to untie his boots before I try talking to him again.

"Why don't you like the Bears?"

Lovino tenses, but he continues to undo the laces on his boots. "What makes you think I don't like those bastards?" he mumbles.

"Besides the obvious?" I ask sarcastically.

"Look, I don't need any of your crap," Lovino says threateningly. "I'm having a bad enough time as it is." He slips one of his boots off and throws it aside before getting to work on the other one. I watch him silently for a while until I can't take it anymore.

"Feli told me," I blurt out.

This causes Lovino to freeze. "That stupid son of a-" He doesn't finish his sentence, but instead throws his other boot aside. It lands against the wall with a loud thunk, and I look over at Feli in fear that he would wake up. He doesn't. "What did he tell you?"

"Not much actually," I admit sheepishly. "He said I should ask you."

Lovino lets out a relieved laugh. "So he can keep his mouth shut." He runs his hand through his dark hair, and gives his curl a light tug.

"So why do you hate Bears so much?" I press.

He gives me a sideways glance before untucking his shirt. "Why should I tell you?" He lifts his shirt off up over his head and slides his dark, speckled wings through the slits in the back. "You wouldn't understand," he adds bitterly.

I ignore the fact that Lovino is now shirtless, and sit down on the bed next to him. I look him dead in the eyes and begin to talk. "I have no memories of my parents, and I've been alone for as long as I can remember until I met Kiku. I've been passed around from family to family, city to city, like an unwanted dog my entire life until I was old enough to live on my own. And unlike the rest of you, I couldn't summon a spirit animal to keep me company until a few days ago. I've been asked to save everything and everyone in the land of Elarium, yet I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm scared out of my mind. So whatever your problem is, I think I'll be able to understand." I surprise even myself with how much I've just shared with the moody Wolf.

Lovino stares at me with wide eyes, then looks away. He remains silent for a full minute before he begins to speak. "We lost our parents...a long time ago," he says in a husky voice. "It's been the two of us ever since."

I open my mouth to say something, but I decide it's better to stay silent. Instead I place a comforting hand on his bare arm. The contact makes him tense up.

"It was supposed to be just a routine border patrol," Lovino continues. His voice is distant as if he's somewhere else, lost in his memories. "There had been reports of people seeing large groups of Bears roaming suspiciously close to the southwest border of Wolf Territory, so my parents had volunteered to go on the patrol."

He pauses when his shoulders start to shake, and he swipes his hand hastily across his eyes. I can feel a great deal of pain in what he's saying, and I'm guessing he's been keeping all of this in for a while.

"They were outnumbered, and their backup didn't come fast enough. There hadn't been a border skirmish in so long that we didn't think it would come to violence...we didn't think it would end like the way it did." Lovino clutches his shirt tightly and swipes at his eyes again. "We never saw them after that, and it's all those bastard Bears' fault!"

All the energy seems to leave his body, and he slumps forward with his head in his hands. A single, silent tear slips out of his eye and slides down his cheek. I reach out to gently wipe it away, and he doesn't resist.

"I'm so sorry Lovino," I whisper with as much empathy as I can. My heart really does ache for the two Wolf twins. They've been through so much, yet they keep pushing on.

"Don't worry about me," he says gruffly as he stands up. He tosses his shirt to the side like his boots. "It's him you have to look out for."

I watch him stand next to Feli's bed in the moonlight and place a hand gently on his twin's head. This is a side of Lovino I've never seen before. "You've taken good care of him, haven't you?"

He walks away from his brother without disturbing him and sighs. "Someone has to. He wouldn't last by himself out there, he's too carefree." Lovino grabs his and Feli's cloaks, and lays one on the floor next to the door.

"What are you doing?" I ask and stand up.

"Going to sleep. What does it look like?" He lays on top of the cloak, and uses the other as a blanket. "Go to bed yourself."

I look to him, and then to the bed he gave up for me. I've never had anyone other than Kiku show me as much kindness as Lovino and Feli have in the short time I've spent with them tonight, even if Lovino is rude about it. My heart swells with gratitude, and something that must be joy. I pull one of the blankets off my bed and drape it over Lovino. He doesn't react, and I slip into the empty bed as quietly as I can.

"Goodnight Lovino," I say softly.

"Go to sleep already," he mumbles in a tired, hardly audible voice. I'm about to drift off when I hear a very quiet, yet quite distinct, "Goodnight Elizabeta." I fall asleep with a smile on my face.


	8. Thief

I'm not the only one who doesn't want to get up in the morning, and so we decide it would be beneficial to take a day off.

"Strictly for recuperative reasons," Ludwig insists, but we all know it's a day to have fun.

We eat a hot breakfast at a small tavern in the middle of the city before making plans for the day. I watch Gilbert and Feli in amusement as they compete to see who can pack away the most porridge. Feli finishes his fifth bowl, then grabs Gilbert's half eaten one to finish that too.

"I think Feli wins," I announce with a laugh. He smiles widely before spooning more creamy porridge into his mouth.

"How can you eat so much?" Gilbert groans. "You're so freaking scrawny!" He places his head down on the table with another groan. I hate to think about the stomachache he's going to have later.

"You two are lucky we brought a lot of money with us," Ludwig says as he eyes up the stack of empty bowls on our table.

"Oh lighten up Ludwig," I say with a smile. I give him a playful punch to the shoulder. "It's our day off, remember?"

"Let him worry," Gilbert says with a wave of his hand. His voice is somewhat muffled from his head still on the table. "West enjoys fussing over things, so that's how he's going to have fun today."

"T-that's not true!" the blonde Bear says in a flustered voice. Kiku and I laugh at his obvious embarrassment.

Lovino, who has been silent the whole time, gets up and starts to walk away. He only pauses long enough to say, "I'm going to go do stuff." We watch him walk out of the tavern without another word.

Feli lets out a small sigh. "I was hoping Lovi and I could go look at vendor stalls today."

"I'll go with you Feli," I tell him softly. I thought maybe Lovino would act a little better after our talk last night, but I guess not.

"I'm going to be looking for supplies with Ludwig," Kiku informs me. "I hope that'll be alright."

"That works out great actually," I reply. "Now I won't feel so bad for leaving you alone."

"Hey! What about me?" Gilbert asks in a loud voice. The four of us look at each other uncomfortably. He looks up when he notices our hesitation to answer, and gets up from the table. "Fine. The awesome me doesn't need anyone else to have a good time anyway!"

He saunters away from the rest of us with an indignant air about him. The door to the tavern slams behind him as he goes off to who knows where.

"Well that could've gone better," I murmur to myself. "We might as well get going too, right Feli?"

"Right!" he agrees happily. We say goodbye to our other two companions and exit the tavern as well.

The city is a lot more lively during the day than at night when we first arrived. People mill about going from shop to shop, and some people try to drive horse drawn carts through the crowds with difficulty. The two of us follow the crowd to a large open market full of vendors selling things from flowers to pottery. Feli hops around excitedly as he tries to decide where to go first.

"Where should we start Liza? Let's go look at boots! No, food! Veeee~! They have flowers over there! Oh, there are some flags! Aren't they colorful? Let's get some new clothes!"

"Woah, settle down," I say as I try to contain his excitement. "One thing at a time Feli."

He finally decides on looking at flowers first, which turned out to be really nice, until he got scared by some bees. We quickly move on to the next stall, which has a wide variety of sweets and pastries. Feli won't leave until I buy us both some glazed sweet buns, since I'm the one carrying the money. Eating seems to have distracted him from his excitement because he stops jumping around. I nearly drop my bun when he comes to a sudden stop in front of me, and I almost run into him.

"What's the hold up?" I shout over the noise of the crowd. I get no response from the Wolf, so I walk in front of him to see what's going on.

"Look at that," he instructs me with a pointed finger.

I look in the direction he's indicating, and see what has him so transfixed. A small vendor's stall has an assortment of charms, bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, and other knick knacks dangling all over it. Feli hops over to the stall and pulls something off a hook. I'm surprised he even noticed the particular item he's now holding in his hand, with all the other flashy things being sold.

He hands me the small charm, and I smile as I understand why it drew his attention. It's a small wooden wolf that's been carved in mid leap. It hangs from a leather strap that has a couple light colored wooden beads hung on it as well. The beads contrast with the dark wood the wolf has been carved from, and I can't help but think of Lovino when I look at it.

"You're going to get it for him, aren't you?"

Feli nods happily. "It looks just like Romano," he says with a grin. I assume Romano is Lovino's spirit wolf that I saw a while ago.

"That's a nice choice you've made there," a large, hairy man says from behind the stall. He's one of those sleazy looking guys that always has the sharp stench of alcohol clinging to him. "Got that in a trade from some Wolves on the southeastern border. Won't find anything else like that around here."

"How much?" I ask.

"It won't be cheap," the man says shrewdly. He gives his hairy chest a scratch. "I'll give it to you for two Bearpaws and three Wolffangs."

His demand is absolutely ridiculous. Bearpaws are gold coins stamped with a bear paw design, and are worth the most in Elarium. One Bearpaw is worth four Wolffangs, which are silver coins stamped with a wolf tooth design. The coins worth the least are Eagleclaws, which are bronze, and two of those are the same as one Wolffang. The fact that he's asking for even one Bearpaw is a fraud.

"We'll give you half of that," I say tactfully.

"A Bearpaw and one Eagleclaw," the man haggles back.

"One Bearpaw."

"Three Wolffangs and a Eagleclaw," he growls shrewdly. "That's my final offer."

I can tell this won't get far with honest bargaining, so I lean in real close and lower my voice. "I'll give you two Wolffangs, and that's it. I suggest you take it, or I'll be letting some people know about your black market dealings and secret underground smuggling."

The large Bear freezes and goes pale. He accepts my two silver coins, and quickly shoos us away from his stall with some nervous glances. I walk away triumphantly, and Feli follows on my heels.

"How did you know about him, Liza?" he asks in awe.

I hand him the charm, which he pockets carefully. "I didn't," I admit with a sheepish grin. "I just assumed that a shady fella like him has some things he wants kept secrets."

"You're amazing!" the reddish haired Wolf exclaims happily. "Thank you so much!"

I laugh at his enthusiasm, but I don't get a chance to respond because I feel a tugging on my pack. I turn around in time to see a scrawny kid running off with something slender and wooden in his hands.

My spear.

"He's got my spear!" I shout and take off after him.

Feliciano and I desperately chase after the boy, but it's impossible to keep up with him in the crowd. As soon as I get a chance, I whip open my golden wings, that I've tried to keep out of view, and take off into the sky. It's easier to see from up here, but I still can't spot the kid who grabbed my spear. Panic wells up in my chest when I realize he's disappeared.

"Oh no...oh no oh no oh no," I moan in frustration. Tears sting at my eyes when I think about how badly I've failed. It'll be impossible to find my spear in a city of this size. "What do I do Feli?"

I'm met with a disturbing silence.

I maneuver myself in the air to look in every direction around me, but Feli is nowhere to be seen. My heart stops when I realize Feli is gone now too. I've lost two very important things almost simultaneously.

"I have to find the others," I say to the painfully empty air. "Lovino..." I whisper when I remember the missing Wolf's brother. I need to find him first.

I shoot off in a random direction in search of the older twin. Buildings fly past me as I duck and weave through the city. Fear and adrenaline push me to go as fast as I can, and tears begin to streak down my face. They blur my vision so much that I almost don't spot the white splotch on the street below that can only be one person. I drop out of the sky in front of Gilbert, and stumble toward him. My legs are shaking too badly for me to stand well.

"Elizabeta?" Gilbert shouts in surprise. "What are you doing falling out of the sky? And...are you crying?" The albino Bear's voice softens when he sees my tear stained face.

"I-I lost the s-spear...a-and I lost F-Feli t-too," I manage to sob out. I bring my hands up to my eyes as more tears begin to fall. "I don't k-know what to do G-Gilb-b-bert."

Gilbert awkwardly, but gently, wraps his arms around my shaking frame. "Hey, don't cry," he murmurs into my light brown hair. "C'mon now, it's going to be fine. You don't have to cry."

I clutch the front of his shirt with shaking hands. If I wasn't so upset, I probably would be blushing like crazy. "What do we do?"

"Let's find the others. I'm sure West and the others can help us." I look up at Gilbert, and he gives me a reassuring smile. "It's going to be fine, okay?" I nod, and he gently wipes the tear streaks from my face. His hand lingers on my cheek for a moment before he takes a step back. "Let's go."

We unfurl our wings and jump into the air. Gilbert leads me to the an area of Monteurbem that's known for high quality goods, and it doesn't take him long to find his brother and Kiku. I watch as he explains the situation to the shocked pair, but I don't interfere. An overwhelming sense of guilt washes over me as Gilbert motions me over.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper. I keep my head bowed because I can't stand to look any of them in the eyes.

"Don't blame yourself Elizabeta," Ludwig tells me. "Our highest priority is finding Feliciano and the spear."

Kiku reaches out and takes my hand. "We will find them Elizabeta."

"I'll stick with Elizabeta," Gilbert says to the other two. "You two stick together and look on this side of the city."

Kiku and Ludwig unfold their wings and take to the sky. We watch them go before jumping into the air ourselves. Gilbert leads the way back to the market area of town, and we circle around looking for Feli. My heart skips a beat when I see a familiar curl bobbing through the crowd in a narrow street. Without warning I take off toward the Wolf, and Gilbert follows.

"Feli!" I shout as I hit the ground running. "Feli! Are you okay?"

Feli turns around, except it's not Feli. "Who are you calling that ridiculous name? Can't you tell me apart from my brother?" I stop running at the sound of Lovino's voice. "What do you want? And why's that stupid Bear bastard here?"

"L-Lovino?" I ask in surprise. So it wasn't Feli after all.

"Duh, are you stupid or something?" he says in annoyance. "Jeez."

"Hey man, take it easy," Gilbert says. He takes a step between me and the irritated Wolf. "There's been a bit of a-"

"Save it for someone who cares," Lovino interrupts with a snort.

"Listen we're trying to tell you something important!" Gilbert shouts in frustration.

Lovino ignores him and turns away, but I can't take any more of his crap. "Feliciano's missing!"

"W-what?" The dark haired twin turns to face me with large eyes. "What...did you say?"

"Feli's missing," I repeat in a quieter voice. "My spear got stolen, and then he disappeared when we tried to look for it...I'm...I'm so sorry."

"You...you lost my brother?" Lovino shouts in a rage. He pushes Gilbert out of the way and grabs the collar of my shirt threateningly. "You better be joking if you know what's good for you."

I don't fight Lovino as he shoves me up against a wall. I deserve his anger and his hatred. I lost the only family he had left. Tears collect in my eyes as I watch Lovino struggle with his loss.

"That's enough!" Gilbert growls, and shoves Lovino away from me, which causes the Wolf to fall to the ground. "Get a grip man! We need to go look for your brother, not sit around pointing fingers and feeling bad for ourselves."

"What would you know about family?" Lovino snarls from the cobblestone street. "You don't know what it's like!"

Gilbert's face becomes serious at Lovino's words. "I'm an older brother too, you know. Sometimes when we were little, and when pops wasn't home, Ludwig and I would play in the woods together when we weren't supposed to." Gilbert pauses before continuing. "One day, Ludwig disappeared. When I finally found him, he was scraped up and crying his little eyes out. And I...I thought I had failed as a brother." The corner of the albino's lips twitch up into a small smile. "But little West was so happy to see me that I couldn't help but feel like he didn't think I failed him at all."

I look at the Bear in surprise. I would've never guessed he had been through anything like that. Ludwig did mention Gilbert has a caring side though, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Gilbert offers Lovino a helping hand off the ground, which surprisingly, he accepts. There seems to be a silent truce of understanding and necessity between the two now that Feli is what's at stake. I wipe away my tears, and approach the two with a new determination.

"Let's find him."

We've flown over the city for hours looking for the lost twin, but there's still no sign of him as the sun begins to sink below the horizon. I flap my wings wearily as I continue to look. Giving up is not an option. A building with a flat roof catches my eye, and I land clumsily on the wide surface. I pause to catch my breath before continuing on my search. I can see other winged figures combing the area off in the distance, and I assume it's Ludwig, Kiku, and Lovino.

A grunt comes from behind me as Gilbert also lands on the roof. I hear his footsteps approach me, but I don't turn around.

"No luck," he says in a serious voice, and I hang my head in shame.

"This is all my fault," I murmur.

"Hey, you can't get so down on yourself," Gilbert says reassuringly. "It's not your fault. We'll find him."

I'm about to say something in response when a slow moving figure catches my eye. I take a few steps toward the edge of the roof for a better look.

"What do you see in that alley?" I ask Gilbert. He must sense the urgency in my voice because he quickly joins me. I point to the alley with the figure staggering through it. Just as I do, the person walks through a fading patch of light, and I see a flash of red brown hair.

Gilbert narrows his eyes as he looks down the alley. "It...it looks like..."

"Feli."

I jump straight off the roof, and unfurl my wings just before hitting the ground. The wind pulls at my clothes and hair, but I don't slow down. I can vaguely hear Gilbert shouting from the roof, but it becomes fainter and fainter as I get further away from him. It only takes me a moment to relocate the alley, and I drop to the ground on all fours.

"Feli!" I shout as I straighten up. "Feli! Is that you?" I run toward the person slumped over in a tall building's shadow.

"E-Eliza...beta?"

"Feli!" I drop to my knees next to him and give him a big hug. "I'm so sorry Feli. I'm so sorry I lost you." Hot tears roll down my face as I sob into his shoulder.

"Don't cry, Liza," the battered Wolf says in a weak voice. "I'm okay."

I pull away from him and wipe away my tears before looking him over. He's covered in all sorts of cuts and bruises. His shirt is torn in several places and covered in dried blood, but luckily there's too much there to be all his. I stare in horror at the state Feliciano's in, and feel guilt stab my heart once more.

"What happened to you?"

"I found them, but they wouldn't give it back without a fight," he explains with a small laugh. "You should see the other guys."

"Found who? Get what back?" I ask him confused. Maybe he got hit once too many times in the head.

"This," Feli says as he pulls out my spear. My eyes widen at the sight of the ancient weapon. I had forgotten all about it. "I followed the little boy, and he led me to a whole group of thieves. They wouldn't give it back without a fight, but I won!" he tells me excitedly. "I bet Lovi would be proud."

"I think so too," I say in a quiet voice. Feli's kindness and concern for others, and not himself, makes my voice tremble as tears form around my eyes again. I take the spear from the smiling Wolf with shaking hands.

"Feliciano!" Lovino's voice echoes around the small alley. The voice's owner drops from the sky, and pushes me out of the way. "Where have you been, idiot?"

"Lovino," Feli says with a smile. "I have something for you." He pulls out the small wolf charm we had purchased before he disappeared. I can't believe he managed to hold onto it through all the insanity that had taken place.

The anger leaves Lovino's face when he sees the item meant for him, and he drops to his knees next to his brother. "Y-you stupid idiot...why don't you ever think about yourself," he says in a trembling voice. "Y-you scared me sick."

His brother just grins and pats him on the head. "Veeee~. It's Because you're always looking our for me. Someone has to look out for you too, Lovi." Feli smiles fondly at his brother, and then at me. "Now that I'm not lost, we're a family again."

I feel my heart clench at his words. Our little group is like a family, I realize. We may be extremely dysfunctional, and we may have been broken today, but we're a family. Something I've never had before.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to see Gilbert crouched next to me. "C'mon. Let's get going." He helps me to my feet.

Ludwig and Kiku have also arrived, and have been watching from a distance. The four of us walk to the end of the alley to give the two brothers some space. They've been through a traumatic day.

"So much for our day off," I say with a sigh. I fasten my spear back in its place on my pack, this time a little tighter than before. "Today ended up being more work than a day on the road, but that's mostly my fault."

"What did I say about blaming yourself, Lizzie?" Gilbert says as he wags a finger in my face. "No moping, okay? It's unawesome."

I raise my eyebrow quizzically at the white haired Bear. "Who said you could call me Lizzie?"

"I heard Feliciano call you Liza, but I think Lizzie fits you better," he explains with a grin.

"But you don't get to call me that," I say stubbornly with my hands on my hips.

"I can do what I want," Gilbert replies with a smirk.

"Fine!" I exclaim. "Then I get to call you Gil."

The smirk quickly disappears from Gilbert's face when he realizes what I'm doing. "No fair! That's not as awesome as Gilbert!"

"I can do what I want," I say smugly and cross my arms. Gil sighs in defeat.

Ludwig and Kiku laugh as Gilbert and I argue back and forth some more. Feli joins in the laughing when he and Lovino walk out of the alley. In the end, Gilbert and Lovino are the only ones not amused by the bickering. Oh yes, we're a family alright.


	9. Feelings

Monteurbem is far behind us after four days of walking. It's slow going, since the terrain is becoming steeper and rockier, but we press on nonetheless.

Feliciano is also steadily recovering, much to my relief. He wasn't in the worst shape after his run in with the thieves, but some of the bruises looked quite painful. The worst of the bruises have faded to faint purple or yellow splotches. The only thing that doesn't look promising is a cut on his left arm that won't seem to heal right.

"Really, Liza, it's okay," he says when I ask him about it for the umpteenth time.

I always ask him how he feels when we stop to rest, which we're currently doing in the shade of a scraggly little pine tree. Trees are a rare sight in the mountains, so we take advantage of them when we can. I do my best not to fuss over Feli as we rest, but it's difficult not to when I feel so responsible for what happened. Gilbert must have a sixth sense for these kinds of things because he sits down next to me and grabs my shoulders.

"Stop worrying," he tells me in a firm voice. "It's not going to help, so just calm down."

I become mesmerized by the calm behind his deep red eyes, and little by little, I can feel the tension leave my body.

"How do you do that?" I ask curiously.

Gilbert takes his hands off my shoulders and laughs. "When you live with a worrywart like West for so long, you start to figure out how to handle someone that stresses too much. This one time-"

"Brother! Are you telling stories about me again?" Ludwig shouts. He stands up from where he was sitting between Kiku and Feli, and walks over to his brother. "You should know better than to talk about someone behind their back."

"It's not behind your back," Gil says with a grin. "You're sitting right over there."

"That doesn't matter!" Ludwig scolds. "Honestly, what am I supposed to do with you?"

The older brother strokes his face in a contemplating manor. "You could salute my awesomeness more often," Gilbert suggests.

Ludwig closes his eyes in frustration, and takes several deep breaths. I guess he must have developed a few tricks of his own on how to handle someone as annoying as Gil. The blonde Bear opens his eyes and walks away without another word.

"Kesesese," Gil laughs. "Messing around with West is another technique I've used over the years."

I decide that's not the best way to handle it from the waves of irritation coming from the tall blonde Bear. He twitches his speckled yellowish wings occasionally while casting disdainful looks at his brother.

"I don't think you should've said those things to Ludwig. He doesn't look happy," I tell Gil.

"He'll be fine!" the albino insists. "I tease him all the time."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about," I murmur to myself, but Gilbert's not listening.

Not long after my conversation with Gilbert, we get moving again toward the Bear Temple. We walk until the sun sets, and then set up camp. Luckily, there's enough twigs and dried up plants around to start a small fire. Dinner's eaten in a tired silence before most of us go to bed. Ludwig is on first watch tonight, so I carefully make my way into the small tent I share with Kiku. He's already laying down, but I can tell he's not sleeping.

"Kiku," I whisper in the dark. "Is everything alright with Ludwig?"

"I believe so," he answers. "Is there any reason he shouldn't be?"

"I don't know. He just seems kind of upset lately."

"Well, now that you mention it, he has been a little touchy lately." Kiku rolls over to look at me. "Why? Do you know something?"

"Not quite," I admit. "I just have a hunch, that's all."

"I see."

Kiku doesn't press me for any more details, so I decide to change the subject. "You, Ludwig, and Feli all seem to get along very well."

"Yes, they're very nice," the dark haired Eagle says with a faint smile. "Ludwig is very smart, and Feliciano is very kind."

"I've noticed," I say, and smile back at Kiku. "I'm glad you're friends."

"N-not that we're not still friends," he replies quickly. "You are still my closest friend."

"Same here. Don't worry about me. I'm glad you've made some new friends."

"You seem to spend a lot of time with Feliciano and Ludwig's brothers," Kiku comments. "Are you friends?"

I think about his question for a while. It's true that I talk to them quite a bit, but they're both hard to read. I couldn't say for sure whether we really are friends or not.

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "But I do know one thing for sure, our little group is a family now."

Kiku nods in understanding. He's probably the only one who understand the significance of a family to me. He's been my only family for a long time. I hold my hand out with only my pinky extended, and Kiku interlocks his pinky with mine. This is something we've done ever since we first met.

"Goodnight Kiku."

"Goodnight Elizabeta."

I don't recall ever waking up, but I suddenly find myself on the side of the tallest mountain I've ever seen, which is saying something because I've seen a lot of mountains lately. A path winds it's way out of sight around a bend, and I find myself walking down it without telling my feet to do so. The path widens as I continue to walk around the corner, and as soon as I clear the bend, I see a large stone structure in front of me.

The building has been built right into the mountain itself, as if it had been carved out of the side of the cliff face. I stop walking at the base of the large stone stairs leading to the entrance of the gigantic building. I look around at the large stone columns that line the opening to the inside, and I notice a glowing, wingless figure walking down the stairs toward me.

The figure is definitely feminine with thick, wavy hair cascading past her shoulders to her waist. Her dark hair matches the dark bear fur she wears like a cape around her shoulders, and the head of the bear is pulled up over her head like a hood. The figure's dark eyes peer out at me from behind the bear hood's snout. It's like she's reading into my very soul.

"Welcome to my home," the beautiful woman says as she gestures to the land around her. Her mouth doesn't move, but I can hear a loud, distinct voice.

"Who are you?" I ask. I have the odd feeling that I should recognize her.

"Thank you for taking care of my children," she says without answering my question. "There is much I have to tell them."

"But I don't know who you are, or where I am," I tell her. "What do you want? What am I supposed to do?" The bright figure doesn't answer. She smiles at me before fading away.

"That was Urmatri, the Bear Mother."

I look to the source of the voice, and see the Great Mother standing beside me. Unlike the last time I saw her, she has physical substance, and is not a smoky, ghostlike being. Her hair is a bright gold color, similar to the color of her wings. She has a glow about her like the other woman, which makes her deep purple eyes sparkle kindly.

"The Bear Mother? You mean the goddess?" I ask in surprise.

"Yes," the Great Mother replies with a nod of her head. "She is waiting to bless her children."

"Her children...so Gilbert and Ludwig?" I ask. "Well, where do we have to go to find her?"

Matrisus gives me a knowing smile. The kind a parent gives to a child that just asked a silly question. "Right here. This is the Bear Temple."

The words the Great Mother spoke still linger in my mind when my eyes fly open. I quickly take in my surroundings, and realize I'm still in my tent with Kiku, except Kiku is gone. I panic for a moment, but then realize it must be morning because of the light pouring in from the fluttering tent flap. I let my body relax and wake up properly while contemplating what had happened to me. I've never had such a vivid dream before in my life.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of soft footsteps approaching my tent. The shadow of two figures falls over my tent as they creep closer.

"Are you sure she's still asleep?" A voice asks. I recognize it as Feli's

"Positive," the other figure replies. This one is Gilbert, and I don't like the sound of mischief laced in his voice. "Kesesese. She'll never see this coming."

"See what coming?" I yell. There's a sound of someone, I assume Feli, yelping in surprise, and a loud crash as something hits the ground.

"Abort! Abort!" Gilbert yells as the two run away.

I crawl out of my tent to see the two retreating figures of a soaked Gilbert and Feli, and the bucket they must have dropped. I had startled whoever was holding the bucket enough to make them spill its contents all over themselves. I wonder where they got the water though. We haven't seen any kind of stream in a while.

Our camp is fairly quiet now that the two pranksters have run off. I walk over to Ludwig and Kiku to find out what the plan for today is.

"Morning!" I call cheerfully.

"Good morning," Ludwig says tersely.

"Good morning Elizabeta. We're sorry about that. We tried to stop them," Kiku says apologetically.

"It's okay. I'm just worried about their next victim," I say as I see the hooligans creep up to the tent Lovino is still sleeping in.

They've filled another bucket, and Gilbert holds the tent open for Feli to douse his brother. Loud profanity fills the air when Lovino is woken up by the pail of water. He tears out of his tent with a look that could kill.

"We're are they?" he demands. "I'm going to wring their no good, freaking bastard necks!"

The two in question are already long gone, but their peals of laughter can still be heard in the distance. I roll my eyes at the mischief caused by the pair. I'll bet anything it was Gilbert who came up with the idea, and being the carefree, fun loving guy he is, Feli went along with it. Lovino turns his murderous gaze at us, but he doesn't say anything to us. He goes back into his tent without another word.

"Is he gone?" Gilbert asks quietly from the rock behind us. Apparently he and Feliciano have been hiding there the whole time. The albino's head pops up above the top of the boulder.

"Veee~! Lovi is scary when he's mad," Feli says in a slightly frightened voice. His head also appears next to Gil's.

"Kesesese. It was totally worth it!"

"That's enough!" Ludwig roars. He's been silently seething this whole time, and now he's going to let his thoughts be known. "I'm so sick and tired of having to be the mature one around you! Why can't you act your age? You're lazy, and messy, and obnoxious! I'm done putting up with you!" The large Bear turns and walks away from his older brother, who is watching him with a shocked expression.

"W-wait! West! Wait!" Gilbert calls as he runs after the younger Bear. "Ludwig!" he says as he grabs his brother's arm. "What's gotten into you?"

"Leave me alone," Ludwig growls dangerously. He shakes Gilbert off his arm and continues to walk away.

"Ludwig! C'mon, don't be such a crab."

Before any of us can react, Ludwig's fist flies through the air and connects with Gilbert's face. The blow catches Gil off guard, and he falls to the ground. We watch in stunned silence as the blonde Bear walks away without another glance at his brother. Gilbert lies on the ground in shock as his cheek begins to turn red.

"Ludwig...?" he says quietly after the retreating figure.

I'm the first one to snap out of my daze, and I quickly make my way over to the elder Bear. One of his hands rubs his bruised face absentmindedly as he stares in the direction Ludwig went. I catch hold of his wrist to stop him from touching his cheek, which is starting to swell. The contact pulls his attention toward me, and I can see all kinds of confused emotions swirling in his eyes.

"Hey," I say quietly. "Let's get you something to put on that." He obediently stands up like I ask him to. I lead him back toward Kiku and Feli, who watch us with wide eyes. "Where's the stream where you got that water?" I ask Feli.

"A-a little ways down that way," he answers. The Wolf points in the direction of a narrow path that leads downhill, away from camp.

"Thanks," I say with a nod. I begin to walk where Feli indicated, but I stop when I realize Gilbert isn't following me. I walk back to him and take his hand. "We're going to the stream now, okay?" He looks at me blankly, but nods in response. For a minute there I thought the blow to the face scrambled his brains or something.

I lead Gilbert all the way to a small mountain stream at the end of the trail. Small plants and shrubs grow next to the life giving water in the loose mountain soil. I leave Gilbert sitting on a rock, and crouch next to the cool water. I didn't bring anything with me, so I tear a strip of cloth off the bottom of my tunic, and soak it in the water. From the temperature of the water, I would guess this is a glacier fed stream. We haven't gotten high enough in the mountains to walk through snow, but we can see the snowcaps and feel the frozen winds.

Once the cloth, and my hand, are nice and cool, I go back to Gilbert and place the wet cloth on his cheek. The welt his brother left is now purple, which contrasts starkly against his pale skin. He flinches slightly against the cold, but doesn't react otherwise. His unusually quiet behavior is starting to worry me.

I hold the cloth to his face until it looses its coldness. I repeat the process of soaking it in the water, and reapply it to the silent albino's face. This happens several more times before Gilbert reacts at all. On the fourth time placing the wet cloth against his cheek, he moves his hand up to hold both my hand, and the cloth, against his face.

"I-I'm sorry...about your shirt...you didn't have to tear it."

I look at him in surprise. It's not like him to stutter or hesitate. "That's not important right now," I tell him.

I pull the cloth and my hand out from under his own to soak in the stream again. The swelling in his cheek has gone down quite a bit. He begins to rub at it as soon as I remove the cloth.

"Don't do that," I say gently. "It'll get worse."

"He's never done that before," Gilbert murmurs.

"Done what?" I ask as I pull the dripping cloth from the stream. I assume he's talking about Ludwig.

"Get mad like that," he answers. I hold the cloth against his cheek, and he turns his face to look at me. "He's never gotten mad at me like that before."

"He's been under a lot of stress," I say to try to comfort him. "I'm sure he'll be back to normal soon."

The white haired Bear shakes his head, which causes me to have to remove the cloth from his face. "This is different. I just...this is different."

"How so?"

"He punched me in the face Lizzie!" Gilbert shouts as he jumps to his feet.

His sudden raised voice and change in demeanor surprises me so much that all I can do is look at him with wide eyes. He clenches his fists in frustration, and squeezes his eyes shut. I watch as he sinks back down to the rock he was sitting on before. His elbows are propped on his knees, and his shoulders slump as he lets his head hang.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," he says in a quiet voice. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's okay," I answer in a shaky voice.

Gilbert turns his head slightly to look at me, then sighs. He gets off the rock he's sitting on, and kneels in front of where I'm sitting. I'm taken completely by surprise when he pulls me into a tight embrace. He holds me against himself as if he's afraid I'll walk away too.

"Thanks for taking care of me," he says. His breath tickles my neck as he talks. "I know I'm a pain."

"You're welcome," I say as I return his embrace. Even though I've never gotten many hugs in my life, I have to say I like this one best. I can't quite explain why though.

We hold onto each other for another moment, as if we're afraid the other will disappear if we let go. Gilbert opens his large white wings, and wraps the two of us in our own little world. I can feel something slowly begin to blossom in my heart. It makes me want to stay in the warmth created by Gilbert's arms forever.

I don't know who pulled away first, but the next thing I know, I'm looking into Gilbert's red eyes. The swirling emotions I saw earlier have disappeared, and all that remains is something I can't quite put my finger on. He begins to lean in slightly when our moment is disturbed by a loud voice.

"Liza! Gilbert! We have a problem! You need to come back!" Gilbert and I jump to our feet to meet the running Feli. He stops at the foot of the trail to catch is breath. "It's Ludwig," he says between breaths. "He hasn't...come back yet."

Gilbert furrows his brows at the news. "We need to go after him."

"I agree. There's no telling where he could've gone," I add.

"No, I know where he went." Feli and I look at the white haired Bear curiously. How could he know something like that? "Let's go," he says as he begin to run back up the trail.

The three of us meet with Kiku and Lovino back at camp. Everything's been put away, and the packs are all ready to go. We put on our respective packs over our wings and shoulders. Gilbert also grabs Ludwig's, and faces the rest of us.

"Everyone follow the awesome me," he instructs. The words he says are normal, but his tone is anything but. His face shows a determination I've never seen there before.

We follow the elder Bear out of our campsite for a while, and then things start to look familiar to me. I can't quite place it at first, but the farther we go, the more it starts to nag at me. It's like déjà vu, except I'm stuck with this perpetual feeling that I've been here before. I finally realize why I feel this way when we come to a widening of the path we're on. I look ahead to see what comes next, and sure enough, the path comes to a bend.

Without thinking, I run past everyone to go around the turn. It takes them a few moments to catch up to me, but when they do, I'm standing in front of the largest mountain face in the area. We all stare at the grand building built into the side of the cliff.

"The Bear Temple," Gilbert and I say at the same time.


	10. Brothers' Strength

"Ludwig is inside," Gilbert says as he begins to walk up the stone stairs.

We follow him all the way to the top, and stop to catch our breath before continuing inside. The stone pillars in front of the entrance are much taller up close, which only make us feel tinier in comparison. I stare in wonder at the detailed carvings of forests and mountains on the walls of the passageway leading inside. There are plenty of bears carved into the wall as well, and I pause for a moment to brush my hand over two large bears standing in a cluster of trees. It reminds me of the missing member of our group and his forlorn older brother.

Kiku notices I've stopped, and waits for me to catch up. "Don't worry, we'll find him," he tells me, as if reading my mind.

I nod silently as I follow Kiku further into the temple. The hallway opens up to a large room illuminated by huge brass bowls hanging by chains from the ceiling. Each bowl must contain some sort of flammable liquid because flames flicker and dance within the brass basins. A stone alter stands in the middle of the cavernous room, and a tall statue stands behind it. I recognize the statue.

"Urmatri," I whisper. Despite how quiet I was, my voice still echoes in the giant room.

"Have you been here before?" Gilbert asks with a raised eyebrow. "How would you know what the Bear Mother looks like?"

"It's a...long story," I tell him. Now isn't the time to explain my dream.

Our group disperses around the room to look around for any signs of Ludwig. Wax drips from the clusters of lit candles on both sides of the stone alter as I approach it for a better look. Nothing indicates that the blonde Bear was ever here. I look over at the others, who also don't seem to be finding anything.

"Are you sure he came here?" Lovino asks with a huff. "What if we're just wasting our time?"

"He has to have come here," Gilbert insists. "West is focused on the quest. There's no way he'd give up on it when we were so close to the Temple."

Suddenly, the sound of pounding feet begin to echo around the chamber. Three men come running from a hallway that's different from the hall leading outside. We hadn't even noticed it in our haste to find Ludwig. The men are dressed in simple animal skin clothes, and wooden beads hang from the hems of their tunics, which clack together when the men move.

"Who are you?" the man in front demands. He has shaggy long hair, and shallow wrinkles starting to form on his face. My eyes are drawn to the dark red markings that have been painted on his face.

"Head Priest, has my brother come through here?" Gilbert asks. I assume the paint must symbolize who's the top priest.

"Brother?" the priest asks in confusion. His auburn colored wings flex as he thinks. "Hmmmm...do you mean the tall one that caused quite a commotion recently?"

"It must be him," I say. "How many other people would be up here recently?"

"You would be surprised, young one," the Head Priest says. "The Temple of the Bear Mother is visited by many pilgrims in search of strength and courage." His eyes land on my golden wings, and understanding dawns on his face. "You are the chosen champions."

"Y-yes," I confirm in surprise. "Were you expecting us?"

"We have heard about what occurred at the Ceremony of Legends from the clan elders. We've been awaiting your visit." The priest looks at our tired group. "You are missing someone. Your brother, I assume," he says and looks at Gilbert.

"Yeah," Gil answers.

"He is here."

Gilbert noticeably brightens, and the rest of us let out sighs of relief. "Where is he?" the elder Bear asks.

The Head Priest points to the statue in the back of the room. "The Temple reacted to his presence, and the path to the goddess's blessing was revealed." He chuckles softly. "It gave us quite a scare."

We walk to the statue with the three priests close on our heels. The other two with the Head Priest have yet to speak, and I wonder if they even can. Gilbert steps up to the statue, and looks around. After a few moments of searching, he turns to us with a confused look.

"Are you sure this is right?"

The Head Priest shrugs. "We did not see what your brother did. All we know is the Temple opened to him, and he was gone."

Gilbert turns back to the statue with knit brows. I'm afraid he's going to get frustrated and angry, but without warning, his whole demeanor changes. He straightens his posture, and walks confidently to the wall behind the statue. We follow him curiously. Gil raises a hand, and places it on a small carving etched into the wall. I would've never noticed it unless someone brought attention to it like the Bear just did.

Energy fills the air as a red aura forms around the albino. A deep rumbling is heard, and the floor shakes beneath our feet. The wall Gilbert has his hand on splits right down the middle. Rumbling changes to the sound of stone grinding on stone as the two halves of the wall pull away to reveal a corridor. It stretches into the dark depths of the temple with no hint as to what lies beyond. The silence presses in on us as the rumbling dies away, and we stand there in awe.

"Magnificent," the Head Priest breathes. "To think something like this has been here the whole time without our knowledge."

"Let's go," Gilbert instructs in a firm voice. He leads the way with Feli and Lovino right behind.

I begin to follow, but turn around when I notice the priests haven't moved. "Aren't you coming?"

"The secret depths of the Temple are not for us to discover," the wrinkled man says with a shake of his head. "Farewell, champion of the Great Mother."

He and the other priests place clawed hands over their heart in a salute. I nod in return because I don't know how else to respond, now that I'm not an Eagle anymore. The stone walls begin to slide shut behind me with another uproar, and I catch glimpse of the Head Priest smiling encouragingly before it closes. The darkness lasts only a moment, then hanging bowls above our heads, similar to the ones in the main room, light the hall with bright flames.

I quickly catch up to the others, who had continued on for a ways without me. There still hasn't been any sign of Ludwig, but the Head Priest had said this is where he went. We walk in silence for a while until my curiosity gets the better of me.

"How did you know how to open the passageway, Gil?" I ask the albino.

"I'm not sure," he answers. "I just had this feeling like that's what I should do, like I've known it all along."

I blink in surprise at what he said. That exactly describes how I had felt about extending my spear, or knowing how to wield it. It's like discovering a repressed memory.

The hall soon opens up into a circular room with two doorways. One is blocked by a large stone door with a bear paw carved into it, and the other has a steel door and another bear paw.

"Which way do we go?" I ask. There seems to be no difference between the left and right doors except the material they're made out of.

"Perhaps this is a clue," Kiku says. We turn to look at the short Eagle who is pointing to some writing on the wall between the two doors. He begins to read it out loud.

_"When young they're taught, from whence they came. When old they know, their claim to fame._

_A virtue dear, each Bear lays hold. Within their heart, more dear than gold._

_A mountain to move, a choice to make. There is but one door, correct to take."_

"Sounds like a riddle," Lovino deduces. "We just have to figure out what kind of stupid message is being left for some idiot Bear to figure out."

"Let's start from the beginning," I say, ignoring Lovino's rude comments. "' _When young they're taught, from whence they came. When old they know, their claim to fame_ '. What could that mean?"

"Well, we're all taught the legends when we're young. Perhaps it means the legend which is reason for our quest when it says ' _from whence they came_ '," Kiku says thoughtfully. "The Legend of Matrisus is the story of our origin after all. It may be trying to tell us we're in the right place because we're on the same quest."

"That makes sense," I say with a nod. "But what about the next line? ' _When old they know, their claim to fame_ '."

"Hmmm...I don't have an answer for you. Sorry," Kiku says apologetically.

"Let's try to next few lines," I suggest. "' _A virtue dear, each Bear lays hold. Within their heart, more dear than gold_ '."

"Strength," Gilbert's says. He's been unusually quiet since we entered the room, and I almost forgot he was there. "It means strength. A Bear takes pride in his strength more than anything, even gold. That's probably also what it means by ' _claim to fame_ '. Bears are known to be big and strong."

"That's true," I agree. "So far we know that it's talking about our quest and a Bear's strength. Now we just need the last two lines. ' _A mountain to move, a choice to make. There is but one door, correct to take_ '."

"The door part is obvious," Lovino chimes in. "Somewhere in those lines we're supposed to figure out which door to take. Leave it to a Bear to come up with silly poems instead of just telling you how to do it."

I smack the loudmouth Wolf in the back of the head. "We don't need any cynicism, thank you very much. I think the key lies in the first line. ' _A mountain to move, a choice to make_ '. It's telling us there's a choice to make, and that it involves moving a mountain."

"I've got it!" Kiku says with a snap of his fingers. "The answer is the stone door. Stone comes from the mountain, so if we want to advance, we have to move the stone door."

"That's genius, Kiku!" I exclaim. "Let's give it a try!"

The four of us working on the puzzle brace ourselves against the stone door and push as hard as we can. Nothing. We give it another try, but still it doesn't move.

"This doesn't make sense," I say in frustration. "We got the answer right."

"That's what I thought too."

We all jump at the sound of Ludwig's deep voice. He and Feli are sitting next to the entry where we came from, and I assume they've been watching us the whole time.

"Ludwig! Why did you run off like that?" Gilbert shouts. His voice bounces around the circular room. "You could've gotten into a lot of trouble! What we're you thinking?"

"Don't talk to me like you're being responsible," Ludwig growls. "You're the reason I worry all the time! If you start acting your age, I won't have to babysit you all the time!"

This takes Gilbert by surprise. "Babysit me? I've been the one taking care of you all these years because you we're too scared to go out and make friends! You don't know about the sacrifices I had to make so that you could become the great kid mom and dad always wanted!"

Silence fills the room after Gilbert's outburst. He looks just as surprised as Ludwig at the words that came out of his mouth.

"What do you mean the kid they always wanted?"

Gilbert looks down at the ground with clenched fists. "I-I...I always talk so big, but deep down inside I'm just a failure. I couldn't be the kind of kid that would make our folks proud. So when you came around, everyone had big hopes that you would be the perfect child. Big and strong like our old man, and smart like ma. But then you were too shy to go outside and make any friends. I...I couldn't stand the idea of them looking at you like a failure too, so I spent hours taking you out into the woods so you could learn to be brave. I beat up anyone that picked on you at school, and I got beat up plenty for it. I did it all for you!"

Ludwig's eyes grow wider and wider as his brother talks. I can see the anger slowly leave his face, and something completely different take its place. Shame.

"You turned out to be the perfect kid everyone was hoping for, and I'm the good for nothing older brother that everyone laughs at. That's why I thought the goddess made a mistake picking me to go on this quest. I'm no champion. My own brother thinks I'm worthless." Gilbert pulls out the necklace that signaled him to be a champion at the ceremony. "The elders said we should take the relics with us because they would guide us to the right path. Too bad they didn't know I'm not the person they're looking for." He pulls his hand back to throw the artifact to the ground, but Ludwig's hand catches hold of his wrist.

"Brother...I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Ludwig says in a soft voice. "I don't believe you're a failure, and I don't believe the goddess made a mistake."

Gilbert wrenches his arm free from his brother. "Spare me, West. I don't need you feeling sorry for me too."

"But I don't!" the blonde Bear insists. "You're my elder brother, and I've...I've..."

"I think what Ludwig is trying to say is even though he thinks you're annoying, he still admires you because you're his brother," Feliciano says with a smile. "Lovino can be really mean sometimes, but I still love him because he's my brother and takes good care of me." Feli hops over to his brother and gives him a hug.

"Brother, I've never thought you were a failure," Ludwig says quietly. "Feliciano is right. I am proud to be your brother, and I believe mother and father are proud of you as well. You were always there when they couldn't be, and I'm sorry I've taken you for granted. Please, brother, don't be angry."

Gilbert turns toward Ludwig with his head down. He approaches his younger brother, and gives him a hug. "Don't you ever run away again, West."

Ludwig returns the embrace with his strong arms. "I'm sorry, brother. I won't do it again. I promise."

"This is real touching and all," Lovino interrupts loudly as he struggles with a clingy Feli. He finally manages to push his twin away. "We still have to find a way to get through this stupid temple."

"We tried the stone door, but it didn't work," I remind him. "We did everything the riddle said."

"I couldn't get it to work either," Ludwig says after he and Gilbert let go of each other. "I've been here waiting the whole time."

"Veeee~! Does that mean we're stuck here?" Feli asks in a panicked voice. "I'm too young to die!"

"Nobody's dying on my awesome watch!" Gilbert exclaims. I'm glad to see he's back to his old self. "I'll get us out of here!"

"We have to be missing something," I murmur. "We know which door, but even the four of us couldn't open it."

"I've been thinking," Kiku interjects, "that the riddle puts quite a bit of emphasis on strength, but not just anyone's strength. It specifically talks about the strength found in the Bear clan. So it seems to me that in order to advance we need to have the Bears from the quest, and their strength."

Kiku's logic slowly sinks in, and we all look at each other excitedly. "That just might work!" I say excitedly.

"Ready to move a mountain, West?" Gilbert asks his brother as he rolls up his sleeves.

"Whenever you are, brother."

The two brace themselves against the stone door, and begin to push with all their might. At first, nothing seems to happen, but a familiar sensation takes place as the air fills with energy. A blue aura appears around Ludwig, and a red one around Gilbert, as the brothers strain against the door. We watch in astonishment as the stone door begins to swing open. The two Bears slowly push the door completely open, and the energy dissipates from the room.

"Not bad, West!" Gil says with a wide grin. He motions for us to follow him through the door to the next room.


	11. Bear Temple

Things begin to get hectic before we even walk into the next room. Feli starts screaming his head off and running around the circular room in a panic.

"Waaaaaahhhh! There's a big scary bear in here! Help!"

I pull my spear off my pack and extend it to its full length. "Is this another test?" I yell to anyone that's listening.

True to Feli's words, a large bear with dark gold fur comes lumbering after us. I take a defensive stance to prepare for an oncoming attack. The attack never comes though because Ludwig gets between me and the bear.

"Ludwig! Watch out! Are you crazy?" I shout as the bear stops right in front of the younger Beilschmidt.

"It's okay, Elizabeta," Ludwig says calmly. "This is just Germany."

"Germany?" I repeat. "Is he your spirit animal?"

"Yes," Ludwig answers. "There's no need to be frightened."

The large bear stands up on its hind legs, which makes it taller than Ludwig, and holds out a paw. Ludwig presses his palm against the gold bear's clawed limb, and it fades away with a soft glow.

"We were talking while we waited for you to arrive," Ludwig explains. "He must have dozed off while we opened the door and had just woken up." The tall Bear turns to Feli. "I'm surprised you didn't notice him earlier, Feliciano."

"I-I was too busy listening t-to everyone talk. You s-sure have a sc-cary animal, Ludwig," the frightened Wolf stutters out.

"Are you done back there?" Lovino calls from the door. "Some of us would like to get moving!"

"We're coming!" I shout back. I revert my spear back to its shortened form and strap it to my pack.

The three of us catch up to the other three standing in the doorway, and resume walking to the next room. We go through a narrow hall, which opens to a huge room with a high ceiling. It looks more like a cave than a room. Stalactites hang from the dimly lit ceiling, and some fuse together with stalagmites growing from the floor.

The entrance to the cave like room opens to a rocky ledge before dropping off into darkness. It's impossible to gauge how deep the chasm is, and I'm sure no one feels like finding out any time soon. Stone columns rise from the depth of the chasm and create platforms to the ledge on the other side of the gap. The only way across seems to be jumping from column to column.

"Do we jump?" I ask hesitantly. I'm afraid of what the answer will be.

"No," Lovino answers with a flourish of his dark, speckled wings. "We fly, idiot."

I could've slapped myself for being so stupid. Of course flying would be easier, and safer. The rest of us extend our wings to take to the air. With a powerful jump, we all take off for the other side of the cave. This must have been anticipated because as soon as we get off the ground stalactites begin to rain down on us from the cave's ceiling.

"Back to the ledge!" Ludwig yells. We all manage to make it back safely.

"What the heck was that?" Lovino asks. "Who builds a temple with a room like this in it?"

"Who did build the Temples?" I ask curiously.

"I think the legends say the original members of our clans did," Kiku tells me. "That explains why they are filled with mysterious magic."

"Well how are we supposed to get across then? Do we have to jump?" Gilbert asks.

"Looks like it," I say with a sigh. "Unless anyone wants to try flying around sharp rocks."

"N-not me!" Feli hastily says.

"Then it's settled. The faster members of our group will go first," Ludwig says with a nod at the Wolves. "Brother and I will bring up the rear."

Lovino and Feli turn to face the gaping chasm. Both are nervous, but Lovino hides it better than his brother, who's knees look like they'll give out at any moment.

"On three," Lovino instructs. "One. Two. Three!"

The two leap across the rock ledge onto two columns. The columns begin to shake under their feet, and they quickly jump to the next one. I watch them in fascination as they jump and flip gracefully from column to column. Wolves really are mesmerizing to watch. I'm so wrapped up in observing them that I almost miss my cue to begin crossing the abyss.

"Go, Elizabeta!" Ludwig shouts.

I give my head a quick shake as I jump to the column in front of me. It's already been weakened by Feli landing on it, and begins to crumble beneath my feet. I start to fall backward as the stone pillar sinks back into the dark depths, but I quickly crouch to lower my center of gravity and regain my balance. Then I spring from the pillar, just before it falls completely apart, and land on another one next to it.

"Be careful which ones you land on!" I holler to the Bears behind me. "They break if you're not careful!"

I methodically hop from pillar to pillar until I make it across without another collapsing on me. I turn around to watch Ludwig and Gilbert jump their way across too. Their height and weight make it difficult for them to move quickly, and sometimes a column begins to crumble even though it's the first time anyone's landed on it. Ludwig makes it over to us first. He lands clumsily next to Kiku, who helps steady him so he doesn't fall backward off the ledge.

"C'mon Gil," I murmur under my breath. The white haired Bear is a little more than halfway through, and seems to be having a lot of trouble.

"He needs to hurry up or he's not going to make it," Lovino growls.

Several pillars have already collapsed, so Gilbert is steadily running out of options. He's about two columns away from the ledge when the rock beneath his feet breaks away from the main pillar. Gil is knocked off balance and lands heavily on his rear. This causes the pillar to begin collapsing faster with him still on top.

"Jump!" several of us shout in unison.

The Bear leaps into the air moments before the pillar completely breaks apart. He sails toward another stone column, but his jump wasn't powerful enough to get him to it. I hold my breath as I watch him reach for the column, but I know he won't make it. All I can see is the panicked expression on Gilbert's face as he falls past the pillar.

Suddenly, he whips open his large white wings and starts rising with powerful downward strokes. I let go of the breath I'm holding, but begin to worry once again when I remember the falling stalactites. Gilbert seems to have abandoned the idea of jumping across the abyss because he continues to fly as fast as he can toward us. Rock starts to fall from the ceiling, which makes the albino swerve to avoid them. The fact that he has to dodge the falling stalactites makes the distance to the ledge longer than it otherwise would've been.

He's almost all the way to the ledge when a rock clips the edge of his wing. It knocks him out of the air, and takes out several of his feathers as well. Luckily, he's close enough to crash land on the stone ledge we're standing on, and we flock around him to see if he's okay.

"Don't crowd him," Ludwig says as he holds us back at arms length.

Gilbert slowly stands up with drooping wings. One of them is hanging limply from his back, which can only mean it's broken or dislocated. Gil brushes the dust from his clothes and hair before turning to us with a strained smile.

"Was that awesome or what?"

We all relax at the usual obnoxious tone of his voice. If he can still act this obnoxious, then he must not be hurt too bad. Even with that logic, I can't help but be concerned for the condition of his wing. Injuries like that can have lifelong side effects if they're not treated properly.

"Are you alright?" Ludwig asks his older brother.

"Yeah! Don't worry about me," Gil says with another big smile.

"Let's move on then," Lovino calls over his shoulder. He's already walking toward the entrance to the next room. Everyone follows him, but I stay behind and walk with Gilbert.

"Are you really okay?" I ask concerned.

"Yup. The awesome me has never been better," he insists.

"Oh really?" I don't believe him for a second. "Then you won't mind if I do this." I gently tug on his limp wing.

"Ouch!" Gilbert yelps. "So maybe I'm not completely okay. Just don't worry about it."

I don't get a chance to respond because we've come to another room. This one doesn't have any doors, so I assume it's the last one. It's about the same size as the first room with the two doors, but instead of the doors it has two bear statues in the middle. They're rearing up on their hind feet and have their mouths open in a snarl.

I sense a presence in this room, and I can tell Gil and Ludwig can feel it too. The two look around as if searching for something. All of a sudden, everything loses its color. The room and everything in it are varying shades of gray, including the members of our group. Only Gilbert, Ludwig, the bear statues, and I are in color. I also notice that everything not in color has stopped moving. It's as if the world froze around us and it's trapped in some sort of limbo.

"What's going on, West?" Gilbert questions as he turns to look around the room.

"I don't know, brother," the taller Bear answers. "This is very odd."

I join the two Bears in front of the statue. It's weird seeing everyone else stuck in their colorless, motionless state. "How is this possible?"

"It is possible because I make it so."

The three of us look around to see the source of the voice, but no one else is in the room. A soft glow appears between the bear statues. It suddenly disappears, and the same woman from my dream now stands between the statues. She steps out from the midst of the reared bears with a gentle smile.

"Welcome, my children," she says to the two Bears. Just like my dream, her lips don't move as she speaks, but a voice is still audible. "And welcome, champion of Matrisus."

Gilbert and Ludwig salute her in the manor of the bears while I give a small bow. I still need to figure out how to salute people now that I'm not an Eagle anymore. The beautiful woman's smile widens, and she opens her arms to the two Bears.

"I am so proud of the strength and courage you two have shown. You will be a great help on your quest." She approaches Gilbert and places a hand on his limp wing. "Gilbert, my child. Life has not been kind to you, but you carry on with the heart of the strongest bear. Your efforts will be greatly rewarded." I swear she glances at me as she says this.

A glow appears under the goddess's hand and envelops Gilbert's broken wing in a pure light. She pulls her hand away to reveal his wing as good as new. Gil extends it tentatively and flexes it a few times.

"Thank you," he says in awe. Urmatri smiles kindly at him.

She walks to Ludwig next, and places a hand on his arm. "Ludwig, one of my brightest children. While your brother has a great strength of heart, you possess tremendous physical and mental strength. Use it wisely because there will be a time when your companions will need it." The goddess smiles at the blonde Bear. "Trust your brother, young one. He means well."

The Bear Mother steps away from the two brothers and turns to the statues behind her. She places a hand on one of each of the bears' paws. The five claws on the paws glow red, and she pulls them off the statues.

"Do you have the relics?" she asks as she turns around. Gil and Ludwig pull out the two necklaces from the ceremony. "These claws will enhance your strength tenfold. They are my blessing to you."

The goddess places five claws into their proper places on each necklace. Both necklaces glow faintly red after they've been completed, and the Bear Mother places one around each brother's neck.

"Farewell, my children. May you be successful on your journey."

Urmatri disappears in a flash of light, and everything returns to normal. Everything has regained its color, but it's as if time never passed at all. The other members of our group move around like nothing ever happened. The three of us who met the goddess look at each other knowingly. I nod my head to the brothers to indicate that they should tell the others what happened.

"We have something to tell you," Ludwig announces. Kiku and the Wolves turn to look at the tall Bear. "We...well...we just met the Bear Mother."

"When? Just now?" Lovino asks confused. "I didn't see anything."

"It's...er...difficult to explain," Ludwig tells him. "Time seems to have stopped for you while we talked to her."

The three stare at him with confused looks. "What you're saying isn't making very much sense," Kiku says.

"Look, we know it's crazy, but West is telling the truth," Gilbert responds. "Ask Lizzie. She was there too."

Kiku, Feli, and Lovino turn to look at me. I nod energetically in hopes it would make it more convincing. "It's true. I was there. She gave them her blessing and everything." I point to the necklaces with the red bear claws in them, which were not there before the encounter with the Bear Mother.

"Good enough for me," Feli says with a shrug. "What was it like?"

"She's amazing," Gil says with a wide grin. "She fixed my wing too!"

Everyone gathers around him to look at his healed wing except for me. I put my hands on my forehead as a dizzy spell comes over me. Ludwig notices my discomfort and approaches me just as I black out.

I open my eyes to find I'm still in the deepest room in the Bear Temple. The only difference is everyone is gone. I'm guessing this is a dream because it has one of those odd, dreamlike feels. That's why I'm not even surprised when Matrisus appears next to me with her golden glow.

"You've done well," she says with a smile. "We're all very pleased."

"Thank you," I say with a nod.

"You've been confused as to how to salute, yes?" she says knowingly. I nod sheepishly. "Here, like this." The goddess crosses her arms over her chest so that her hands rest by her shoulders.

I imitate her and smile. "Well, now things won't be so awkward with the salutes anymore."

The Great Mother lets out a small laugh. "Yes, I would assume so." All the laughter leaves her face as she looks me straight in the eyes. "You've done well coming here, but it will only get more difficult from here on out."

I return her solemn look. "Yeah, I figured as much."

"Do not despair," the goddess says with a softer look. "I will give you something to help you." She takes my hands in hers, and a warm feeling surrounds them as they begin to glow. "I've given you the ability to heal. How well you can heal depends on your strength and will to do so," she explains.

"Thank you," I tell her as I inspect my hands. They look just like they did before.

"I will try to come to you like this again soon, but I cannot guarantee it. I prefer visiting you in dreams because then I can have a physical body, even if it's not real. The drawback is that it requires more energy on my part." The Great Mother looks at me apologetically. "My strength is greater here in the sanctuary of another goddess, so it allowed me to visit you, but it may be a while before I can speak with you again."

"I understand, and I appreciate all of your help" I notice Matrisus is starting to fade as I say this.

"It would seem I've run out of time. Thank you for your hard work," the goddess tells me. "Just one more thing before I go. Beware the shadow...It grows in strength every day. You must be the light...the light in the darkness."


	12. Flight

My eyes shoot open as the goddess disappears. Orange sunlight blinds me for a moment as I try to figure out where I am. It seems like I've been moved to the main room of the Bear Temple with the alter and statue while I was unconscious. The sun is at the perfect angle to come through the Temple's main hall and get me right in the eyes. I shade my eyes and look around to find the others are also lying on the ground. They all begin to stir at the same time.

"Ugh...what happened?" Gil asks.

"I was hoping you could tell me," I reply. "The last thing I remember was passing out in the room with the bears."

"West caught you," Gilbert recalls. "Then the rest is a blank."

"We must have all lost consciousness at the same time," Kiku determines.

"How did we get back out here?" Lovino asks with a shake of his head.

"Beats me," I say with a shrug. "Maybe it was magic."

"With all the crazy stuff going on lately I wouldn't be surprised," Gilbert mumbles.

"Everyone's alright though, right?" Ludwig asks in his deep voice. We all nod.

"Veeee~! That was a nice nap!" Feli raises his arms to stretch, but winces and pulls his left arm back. I had almost forgotten about his injury.

"Here, Feli. Let me see," I say as I scoot over to him.

"It's okay Elizabeta! Really!" the Wolf insists. He pulls his arm in closer.

"Just show me Feli." I give him a look that says I'm not going to take no for an answer.

He sighs and hesitantly holds his arm out to me. I carefully roll the sleeve back and gasp. The cut on his arm is definitely not okay. It looks like it's infected, so it's all discolored and swollen. Dried pus and scabs crust the edge of the wound, and I do my best not to touch it.

"Feli, how long has it been like this?" I ask in distress.

"A while," he says with his head bowed. "I didn't want everyone to worry. I didn't want to hold everyone back."

"You idiot," Lovino growls. He's standing above the two of us and looking at his brothers arm. "How many times do I have to tell you to think about yourself more!"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," Feli stutters out. Tears begin to pool in the corner of his eyes. "I-I didn't know w-what to do."

"How are we supposed to treat an infection like that?" Ludwig asks in concern. "We don't have any medicine strong enough, and it will get worse before we can make it back to any civilization."

A tense silence comes over our group as we realize the severity of our situation. I gently release Feli's arm and begin to roll up my sleeves.

"What are you doing Liza?" the sniffling Wolf asks. He wipes a few tears away with the back of his good arm.

"I've never tried this before," I tell him. "So I'm just preparing myself." I place my hands just above his wound and brace myself. "I don't think this will hurt, but brace yourself just in case."

Everyone watches me try to heal Feli's arm. I've only just acquired this ability, so I have no idea how it really works. All I know is that it has to work or Feli's in deep trouble. I focus on the wound and will it with my mind to heal. Energy begins to flow through me to my hands, and they let off a golden light. We all stare dumbfounded when Feli's arm heals itself. It first gets rid of the infection, then the cut itself disappears. The light fades, and Feli holds up his arm, which is now in perfect condition.

"Veeeee~! Liza! How did you do that?" Feli asks with a big smile. "Thank you!" He give me a big hug, which I gladly return.

"How did you do that?" Gilbert asks curiously. I can tell he's not the only one who wants to know.

"The Great Mother gave me this power when we were all passed out," I explain. "She must have brought us back here too."

Lovino sighs moodily. "Man, all of this crazy stuff is happening on this stupid quest. I wish the legends had been more specific about what's going to happen. Instead we just get weird powers and magically transported without warning." He sighs again and faces me. "Thank you though, for helping my brother," he says with averted eyes.

"You're welcome," I reply with a smile. I stand and help Feli up too. "What should we do now?"

"It's already pretty late," Ludwig says as he looks toward the exit. The sun has already dropped past the jagged horizon. "We should camp out here tonight."

"Let's go back to the place we stayed last night," Lovino says as he begins to walk to the exit. "I'm getting sick of this place."

We hike a little ways back to our previous camping spot, and set up camp in a similar fashion as the night before. Gilbert coaxes a small fire out of the dry shrubs we scavenge, which we use to heat up a little water. We sit around the fire silently as it crackles in the dark.

"Where do we go next?" I ask no one in particular.

"Most likely to Wolf Territory," Kiku answers. "The usual order of things is Bear, Wolf, Eagle."

I pull out my copy of the legend from my pack. " _Matrisus and her companions visited the homes of each child to gain the blessings of the goddesses and the land. In the mountains, the bear brothers were blessed with enchanted claws. In the plains, the wolf twins were blessed with heightened senses. In the valleys, the single eagle was blessed with foresight_."

"Enchanted claws?" Gilbert asks with a raised eyebrow. "So these?" He pulls his necklace out from under his shirt.

"I guess so," I say. "But what about the Wolves getting their heightened senses or the Eagle getting foresight? Those aren't actual things like the necklace."

"Perhaps the enchanted claws are in reference to the extra strength we've been given," Ludwig comments. "It's symbolic for the blessings, not the claws themselves."

"That make sense too," I agree with a nod.

"Pffeh. I don't know what you idiots are even talking about," Lovino mumbles as he stands up. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight!" I call, but he doesn't respond as he slips into his tent.

"It is getting late. We should all be going to sleep," Ludwig tells us.

We agree, and the others get up to follow Lovino's example. I turn to my pack to put the legend away when something catches my eye. I unstrap my spear from my pack and look at it closely. Sure enough, something that looks like bear claws tied to leather cords now hang from the blunt end of my spear. I hold them closer to my face, and they shine in the dim glow of the dying fire.

"For receiving your first blessing and passing the tests," the faint voice of the Great Mother says. I smile softly as I reattach the spear to my pack. I guess I'm making some decent progress after all.

I pick up my pack and bring it with me into my tent. I can hear Kiku's heavy breathing as I make my way to my side of our shared tent, which can only mean that he's sleeping. I settle down on the ground and think about what we have yet to do on our quest. We're about a third of the way through, so we'll hopefully be done before the snows come. I shiver slightly when I think about snow. It's already cool enough in the mountains without more snow. I pull my cloak out of my pack and wrap myself in it tightly before falling asleep, completely oblivious of the dark shadow slinking around our camp.

Ludwig gets us going fairly early the next morning. His goal is to find a place to stock up on food before trekking east across Bear Territory to Wolf Territory. We all agree that Monteurbem is not an option after what happened the last time we stopped there. Ludwig leads us toward smaller cities closer to the eastern border.

It's going to take a few days to get there, so we brace ourselves for a lot of walking. Despite that fact, the mood of our group has definitely improved from the seriousness that weighed on everyone in the Bear Temple. Feli and Italy hop around happily as we hike down gravely paths away from the mountains. He and his spirit animal stop prancing around to talk to Ludwig and Germany for a moment before continuing their skipping.

I smile as I see the smiles on everyone else's faces. Even Lovino has a faint smile tugging on his lips. The idea of leaving Bear Territory must be what's putting him in an unusually good mood. I don't really blame him though. The mountains are starting to become rather redundant, and I can't wait to get back to some trees and grass.

We stop for the night at the base of the last mountain peak in the area. I have Kiku show me where we are on the map because I have no clue where we are or where we're going. He points to a spot east of Monteurbem. We're not as far inland as the large city, but the mountains don't go as far here as they do at Monteurbem. I'm relieved to know we'll be seeing some greenery soon. We all go to bed early to get a good night's rest. Seeing trees again makes everyone excited to get an early start.

I wake up refreshed and rearing to go almost as soon as Ludwig wakes us all up. We pack up quickly and resume walking to one of the cities Ludwig and Kiku have picked on the map, but they can't decide which one they'd rather go to yet, and argue about it as we walk.

"But Kiku, Coruscaluco is closer to where we are now. It would be better if we go there," Ludwig says to my dark haired friend.

Kiku twitches his black wings in impatience. It would seem they've been discussing this for a while. "That may be true, but it's too far out of the way. Salictiligna is on our way."

"We won't make it there with the supplies we have," Ludwig argues back. "We need to buy more food."

"We can find some on our way to Salictiligna in the forest," Kiku retorts.

Ludwig turns and notices me listening to the two of them. "What do you think, Elizabeta?"

"Er...well..." I wasn't expecting to get pulled into this.

"I think you two should loosen up!" Gilbert shouts as he runs past us. "Live a little!" he yells as he jumps off the cliff at the end of the trail we're on.

After a moment he shoots up through the air above our heads on his large white wings. I smile and run for the cliff myself. Giving my wings a stretch sounds like a great idea right about now. I hurl myself over the cliff and am met with an amazing view of the deep green forest growing right up to the cliff face. My wings open with a snap, and I'm carried high into the sky by an upward air draft. I do some rolls in the air and giggle excitedly at the feeling of exhilaration that fills me from head to toe.

"Come one everyone!" I shout behind me.

I circle around to see Feli and Lovino also jumping off the cliff after me. They open their brown wings and climb the warm updraft as well. The only way I can even tell them apart from this distance is the color of their hair and wings. Feli's hair is redder, and his wings are lighter brown. Lovino has darker hair and wings, which have light brown speckles. The twin Wolves do loops in unison as they fly toward me.

Gilbert suddenly appears next to me with a grin. "Was this an awesome idea or what?" I smile back at him happily.

We fly back to the cliff together to get Kiku and Ludwig to join us. They haven't gotten off the ground yet, and this is definitely a problem because they're missing all the fun.

"Come one Kiku!" I yell at the short Eagle. "It's so nice! Japan would like it too!"

Kiku looks up at me when I mention his spirit animal. It's been a while since the two have gone flying together. The Eagle lets out a sigh and manifests his animal. The sleek falcon appears on his shoulder but quickly takes to the air. That's all the persuasion Kiku needs to jump into the air after his partner. His black wings glisten in the sun as he flies after the falcon.

"You're the last one, West!" Gilbert shouts at his brother. "Hurry up! We gotta show them how awesome us Beilschmidts are!"

Ludwig sighs in defeat. He must know there's no way out of it now. The blonde Bear crouches slightly before leaping high into the air. He jumps at least three of his own body lengths before whipping open his huge pale yellow wings. The two brothers do several areal maneuvers that make me wonder if Bears really are the weakest flyers.

I take off after the others, who are starting to fly over the forest and away from the cliff, when I remember my own spirit animal. Excitedly, I call my partner out in a burst of crimson flames. She's as beautiful as ever, and shines radiantly in the sun as we catch up to everyone.

"Hello, Elizabeta," she says in my mind.

"Hey, Hungary," I say back. "Sorry I haven't called you out lately. Things have been kinda crazy."

"I understand," she says with a blink. "But I am glad you called me out now. It's lovely outside today."

I look up at the azure sky and the fluffy white clouds rolling across it. The air is crisp and fresh as it blows my long hair around. "It really is," I say with a smile.

We catch up to the others and fly together for a while. The wind is blowing from our back, which gives us a boost, and it's easy sailing for at least a few hours. I enjoy seeing the vibrant greens of the plants growing below us, unlike the dull browns of the mountains.

My eyes wander across the vast expanse of green, and land on a hole in the forest. This makes me rather curious, so I turn to look at Hungary.

"Do you see that?" I ask pointing to the clearing. "What is it?"

"I don't know," the phoenix answers in my mind. "Let's go take a look."

We serve toward the opening in the forest, and the others stop to watch us go. They eventually follow after us in confusion, and I can hear Lovino complaining loudly. Hungary and I reach the clearing first, and I gasp in surprise at what I see. A decent sized town is nestled in the forest with lots of people walking around. They people notice me in the air and start waving excitedly.

"What is this place?" I ask Hungary.

"I do not know, but it doesn't feel normal," she says as she narrows her eyes.

"Elizabeta! Where are you going?" Kiku calls as he and the others fly over to me. They hover in the air next to me and look at the town with shock.

"This is odd," Ludwig says. "This city isn't on any map. I can't tell you what it's called either. I've never been here before."

"I agree with West," Gilbert adds. "I've never heard of a city here before. This is some of the thickest forest in the Bear Territory. I didn't think people lived out here."

"Should we go down there?" I ask. "They're all waving us down."

"It couldn't hurt," Gil says with a shrug.

We slowly descend in the middle of the town, and the large crowd that has gathered makes room for us to land. They look at us excitedly with gleaming eyes and large smiles. There's something a little weird about the people though. I can see some with twigs and leaves sticking out of their hair. Others have odd splotches of green ink or paint on their skin. A little girl approaches me with a shy smile on her face. She looks completely normal, except for her wings. They're not feathered like ours. I would describe them more like insect wings, thin, clear, and shimmering.

"Hello, champions of the Great Mother," the girl says in a bell like voice. "Welcome to Sylvumbra."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Meanings for Names:
> 
> Coruscaluco: formed using coruscante luco (shining grove)
> 
> Salictiligna: formed using salicti ligna (willow wood)
> 
> Sylvumbra: formed using sylva umbra (forest shade)


	13. Sylvumbra

I find it odd that this girl knows we're the Great Mother's champions. Only the elders, and I assume our families, know about us being on this journey. Well, I guess the priests knew, but that was probably because the elders told them. How this girl knows about us, I have no idea.

"Thanks," I say. "We didn't know people lived out here, so it was a surprise to see all of you here."

"We've all lived here for quite a long time. Centuries in fact." Ludwig and Gilbert look at each other in confusion. "We were hoping you'd find us."

"Oh." I have no idea what to say to that. Things are getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

"Come! Let us have a feast!" an elderly looking man says excitedly. He had curly vines poking out of his beard and green paint on his wrinkled forehead.

The crowd of strange people cheer excitedly and begin to usher us toward a large building. Two small children take my hands and skip beside me as I walk inside. The building is like a giant meeting hall with an enormous table in the middle, which has been piled high with all sorts of food. My eyes go wide at the sight of so many things to eat, and I'm sure the others react in a similar manor. We've been rationing our food for so long that I've forgotten what it's like to eat as much as I want at one time.

"Sit with us!" the little kids say in unison. I assume they're brother and sister because they look so much alike. They also have insect like wings, and flitter over to a spot at the table.

I look back to see the others are also being asked to sit with people. It makes me a little nervous, but these people don't appear to be bad. I sit down on a small stool in between the two siblings. The thought of eating so much food makes me want to trust these people, but I decide to stay on my guard just in case. I look around to make sure I know where the possible exits are, and just as I do, something dark scurries past the doorway leading outside.

"Friends! Today it is our great honor to sit down to feast with the champions of the Great Mother, or as we call her, the Protector." A tall man with wild hair and green paint streaking his arms has stood up to address the crowd gathered around the mammoth table. "We hope you will enjoy your time here, and bless us with your presence." He raises a glass, and everybody else follows suit. "To the Protector."

"The Protector!" a chorus of voices say in response. We all take a drink of some really good grape juice, and then the feasting begins.

I look around excitedly at my choices and completely forget about the weird thing I saw crawling around outside. It's been too long since I've had a decent meal. The table is full of different berries, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. I furrow my brows as I realize that's all there really is. Some of the bowls just contain different combinations of the same things.

"Where's all the meat?"

Silence fills the meeting hall. All of the strangle people stare at Gilbert. "M-meat?" a young boy sitting next to him asks. "Like...animals?"

"Yeah," Gilbert says with a nod of his head. "Do you, uh...not eat that here?"

"Animals are our beloved friends. We would never kill them just to eat them."

Gilbert turns several shades of red. "Oh, uh...er...sorry."

The crowd slowly goes back to their eating, but I can tell people are talking about Gil in hushed whispers. I don't know why, but that bothers me more than it really should. I pop a few chestnuts into my mouth as I contemplate what just happened. Raw chestnuts are not a favorite of mine, so I wash them down with plenty of juice. I didn't realize they weren't cooked when I picked them up.

"You guys don't cook anything here, huh?"

Silence fills the hall once again. I look around nervously as all eyes turn to me. "Cooking requires...fire," the little girl next to me says. Everyone, except for my group, cringes at the word.

"Oh, alright. I guess that makes sense," I tell her. It really doesn't, but I don't say that. These people become stranger and stranger the longer we're with them.

When the feast is finally over, we're led to another smaller building toward the edge of town. It has enough beds for all of us, which makes me so happy I could cry. I've been sleeping on the ground for too long.

"Please don't hesitate to ask us for anything," the lady who brought us here says. She has flowers poking out of her hair, which has been pulled into a bun, and sparkling green eyes.

We wave to her as she walks away and close the door. It's really dark without any lamps or candles, so we stumble around in the dark for a while. There are several exclamations of pain as the others run into things in the dark.

"I found a lamp!" Feli exclaims.

"Light it already!" Lovino shouts grumpily. He must have been one of the ones who ran into something.

"I don't know how!" Feli calls out into the dark. "Oh, wait. Maybe this will-"

A soft white light fills the room, and I can finally see where everyone is. Gilbert and Lovino are sitting on the floor rubbing their shins. They must have run into something. Ludwig and Kiku are each standing near a bed, and Feli is in the corner with a very strange looking lantern.

"What's with that lamp?" Gilbert asks as he gets to his feet.

"I-I don't know. I just pressed this button," Feli explains.

He points to a small button at the base of the lamp. Gilbert walks to the corner and carefully picks up the odd lantern. He presses the button, and the light goes out. He presses it again and the light turns back on.

"How does it work?" Kiku asks.

Gilbert peers into the glass globe of the lamp. "Fireflies," he replies. "Probably magic fireflies from the look of it."

"Is anybody else getting the impression that this place isn't normal?" I ask.

Several of the others nod. "There isn't much we can do at this point," Ludwig says. "Let's just get to bed and we can figure it out in the morning."

Lovino hops into the bed closest to him with a thud. "Yeah, and it'll keep you two trouble makers out of any more trouble," he says with a look at me and Gilbert. He's obviously referring to what happened at the feast.

"Hey! How were we supposed to know?" I say in our defense.

"Just be quiet and go to bed, idiot," the moody Wolf mumbles.

He and his brother are already snoring away, and the rest of us watch incredulously. How do they fall asleep so fast? I pick the bed against the wall next to Feli. The blanket is soft, and I smell its woodsy smell as I wriggle underneath it. I sigh contently when I get nice and comfortable. The light isn't even turned off by the time I fall asleep.

Despite the fact they went to bed first, Lovino and Feli are the last to wake up the next morning. We literally have to roll them out of bed to get them up. Needless to say, Lovino was not a happy camper after that. We're led from the building we slept in to another house used for eating. It's not the meeting hall, but it's one of the larger buildings in this town. Other people are already there eating breakfast, and they all turn to look at us when we walk in.

"They look at us like we're the odd looking ones," I whisper to Gilbert as we sit at a table. He cracks a smile at that.

A plump lady with wiry hair and green paint on her cheeks approaches our table. "Hehehe. G'morning my dearies! Breakfast this morning is soaked oats." She waves a pudgy hand and several impish looking girls place bowls in front of us. "Enjoy!" she says in a singsong voice.

I look down at my bowl, and I'm surprised to see that it looks a lot better than it sounds. Bright berries have been mixed into the dark oats, which aren't as sludgy as I thought they would be. I tentatively spoon some into my mouth, and I smile at the burst of sweet, fruity flavor mixed with the earthy taste of the oats.

"This ain't that bad," Gilbert mumbles through a full mouth.

"Manners, brother," Ludwig chides.

The older Bear rolls his eyes, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he spoons more oats into his mouth. We finish breakfast with full bellies, and sigh contently. A gangly looking boy with yellow eyes approaches our table right after get up to leave.

"If the champions could please come with me," he says in a raspy voice. It reminds me of branches scraping against each other in the wind.

He leads us outside to a large group of other boys. They look very different from one another, but they all have something weird about them. Many have leaves and sticks poking out of their hair, and many more have green paint somewhere on their bodies. A few boys have grass or mushrooms poking out of their clothes. Upon closer inspection, it appears as if it's growing off of them.

"We were hoping you could teach us how to fight," a boy with unusually long hair says.

"Yeah! We wanna fight!" a short boy shouts. Several other boys take up the cheer.

"We wanna fight! We wanna fight!"

"Woah, woah, woah," I yell as I wave my hands. "Hold on a minute. Why do you need to fight? You have a lovely village here. What is there to fight?"

The boys look at each other, and the youngest looking boy in the group steps forward. I kneel down to his level, and he meets my eyes shyly. "We need to fight the shadows," he whispers.


	14. Forest Battle

A cold hand clutches my heart. "The shadows?"

The boy nods his head and rejoins his friends. I stand up and look at my group in shock. I see similar expressions on many of their faces. How do these kids know about these shadows? What is this place?

"What's going on here?" The same man with the wild hair that spoke to us before the feast approaches us.

"We want to learn how to fight!" one of the boys shouts. The others look at the wild haired man hopefully.

"Oh really." He look at us, and back at the boys. "Perhaps that would help our situation." This makes me curious, but I don't get a chance to ask. "I will allow it, if the champions are willing."

"Why not?" Gilbert says with a shrug. "Everyone needs to learn how to protect the people around them."

"For once I agree with Brother," Ludwig says with a nod.

"Wonderful!" the man exclaims. "I'll leave that to you two then. I'd like to talk to the others while you do so." He leads the rest of us away from the group of excited boys. "I guess I haven't introduced myself yet. I am called Kor, and I am what you could call the leader of this town." We salute to Kor and introduce ourselves in turn. "I am very honored to have the champions of the Protector here."

"How do you know we're the champions?" I ask him curiously.

He smiles mysteriously. "Now is not the time to reveal that to you, but I will explain in due time. I was actually hoping to ask you for a few favors." He looks to the Vargas twins. "Some of the women have asked for assistance weaving baskets. I was hoping you could help with that. I hear the Wolves are very skilled craftsmen."

"Veeee~! That sounds like fun!" Feli exclaims happily. "Let's do it Lovi!"

"They're waiting for you over there," Kor says with a point of his finger.

He indicates a small building with several young women milling around it. They wave coyly at the Wolves. Feli drags his brother to the building without another though. I could hear Lovino complaining his brother flirting the whole way.

Kor turns to Kiku next. "I was hoping you would like to read to our elders. Some of them are losing their eyesight but still enjoy a good story. We have many unique volumes to choose from."

I could tell Kiku was intrigued by the idea of reading some new stories. He can be quite the bookworm sometimes. "I will gladly accept. Thank you very much," he says with a bow.

"Excellent! They're waiting for you in that building over there." The wild haired man points to a decent size building next to the meeting hall, and Kiku leaves for it excitedly. "Now, I have something special planned for you."

His entire demeanor changes from cheerful to serious. I gulp nervously at the sudden reversal of character. This may have been a mistake to stay here.

"Please, come with me."

Kor leads me to another large building on the other side of the village. He opens the door and waits for me to enter. The inside is dark, and I can't tell what's in there. I slowly make my way in, keeping my senses on alert the whole time. What I see when my eyes adjust was not what I was expecting.

The building is full of sick people lying in beds moaning pitifully. They range in age from young children to aged elders. Many are shaking visibly, and several are sweating as if they had been running for miles. I look from pained face to pained face and raise a hand to my lips. I've never seen anything like this before.

"What's the matter with them?" I whisper as if talking too loud will cause these people more pain.

"We're not exactly certain," the wild haired man answers. "We were hoping you could help us."

I hesitantly walk to the bed closest to me. A little boy lays in it mewling with his eyes shut tight. I kneel next to the bed and pull the blanket back carefully. I gasp at what I see. Something that looks like a bad burn covers the boy's right arm. I gently pick it up for closer examination. The burns are have discolored the boy's skin to almost a black color.

"How did this happen?" I ask Kor as I put the whimpering boy's arm down.

"The shadows," he replies simply. "They've somehow come in contact with shadow creatures."

This reminds me of something from the legend. In the time of the legend, people and things could become infected and corrupted by the shadows. A chill goes down my spine thinking about it.

"What can I do?"

"I don't know," the leader of the village says. "I was hoping you could tell me."

An idea comes to my mind, and I hold my hands over the little boy's arm. "I've never tried this on an injury like this before, so I have no idea if it'll work." I let my energy flow, and a golden light envelops the area around my hands. I focus on removing the shadow burns from the boy's arm, but nothing seems to be happening. I concentrate harder and put more energy into it. The burn begins to lessen, yet the color doesn't disappear.

I finally have to stop because my energy is running low. The boy has a more peaceful look on his face, but the burns haven't completely disappeared. The black color still taints his skin. I gently place a hand on his clammy forehead. He seems to be a normal temperature, so I don't understand why he's not waking up. I rub at some green paint on his face, but it doesn't come off. Could it be that what I thought was paint is really the color of their skin?

"I tried my best," I tell Kor. "I don't know how much it helped."

"You've done more than you know," the wild haired man says with wide eyes. "I've never seen a shadow victim rest so peacefully. They always move about as if in great discomfort, yet they never wake up." He looks at the other victims. "If only we could give them all that peace."

I look at Kor with a newfound determination. "I can do it."

I sit behind the building of sick people a few hours later completely exhausted. My motivation made it easier to treat the next few patients, but I still used quite a bit of energy in the end. This new energy I've been able to tap into is something I'll have to learn more about. I lean my head back against the wall and sigh deeply. It's satisfying knowing I can help these people, even if I can't completely cure their shadow infection.

"Kesesese. So this is where you are." Gilbert walks around the corner carrying two plates of food. "Thought you'd like some lunch. Heard you've been working really hard."

"Hey Gil," I say tiredly. "Thanks." He hands me a plate piled with fruits and nuts. "How has the training been going?"

"It's awesome!" the Bear says with a big grin. "They learn really fast, and it's a lot of fun."

"I'm glad," I say with a soft smile.

"How about you?" Gilbert asks. "What are you doing?"

"Helping people that have been infected by the shadows," I respond. "It's tiring, but I love helping them as much as I can."

Gilbert pauses mid bite. "No kidding." He smiles widely at me. "That's something I like about you, Lizzie. You always think about others."

I blush at his compliment. "Thanks. You're like that too, you know."

"You think so?" He looks at me quizzically. "People don't usually think that about me."

"Well, I guess they don't see you the way I do."

"And how do you see me, Lizzie?"

His question takes me by surprise. I don't know how to answer it. It's true that I think he's an amazing guy, but I don't know how to tell him that. Or about the feelings in my heart.

The albino scoots closer to me and looks deep into my eyes. "Tell me, Lizzie. What am I to you?"

"I...I..." He leans in closer to me, and I'm finding it hard to think.

"I'll tell you what I think," Gilbert whispers.

He leans in far enough to softly touch his lips to mine. Unlike his very obtrusive personality, he kisses me very gently. His large hand comes up to lightly brush against my face. I lean into Gilbert's lips. This is like nothing I've ever experienced before. I can feel an energy flowing between us as our lips move in unison.

A rustling from the bushes a few yards away startles us apart. The building with the infected is right up against the woods, which are so thick almost no light filters through. We try to look at what could have possibly made the sound, but it's impossible to tell.

"What was that?" I ask nervously.

"I don't know," Gil responds.

"Let's grab our weapons and check it out."

We meet back up behind the building after retrieving our weapons from the house we had slept in. Cautiously, we approach the edge of the woods. Just at we do, something scurries off in the opposite direction from us.

"Follow it!" Gilbert shouts, and takes off after it.

I run after him through the dense forest. Trees an branches whip past my face as I do my best to keep up with the Bear. I can just barely make out the shadowy figure we're following into the deep wood. There's no doubt what we're chasing is some sort of shadow creature.

"Gil! Where is it going?"

"I don't know!" he shouts back. He comes to a sudden stop and holds his arms out to stop me. "Wait, Lizzie!"

I barely manage to stop at the edge of a large crater. "That was close," I say out of breath. I look down into the crater, and my eyes go wide. "What is that?"

"I have no idea," Gilbert replies in just as much shock.

At the bottom of the crater lies the nastiest looking thing I've ever seen. It looks like a large shadow blob with several writhing tentacles sprouting out of it. A few wave in the air, but most of them are stuck in the ground and pulse ominously. The thing has a large mouth that rises above its blobby body with rows of sharp teeth. I'd hate to meet this thing in the dark.

Gilbert steps back from the crater and summons his spirit animal. A snowy white bear appears next to him and let's out a low growl.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Prussia," Gil says with a small smile. "Look, I need you to go back to Sylvumbra and get the others. Make sure they have their weapons in case things get ugly. We're counting on you, buddy."

The bear turns and lumbers away back into the woods. We turn back to the giant blob.

"What do you think we should do?" I whisper.

"We can't go at it head on," Gilbert says thoughtfully. "We need a plan." He pulls out his axes, and I take it as a cue to extend my spear. "I say we go in and go hard."

The Bear jumps into the crater and charges the blob shadow with a loud yell. I follow after him with my spear ready to attack. I summon Hungary to help us right before I get to the nasty creature. She flies as high as she can without touching any of the low hanging branches of the forest.

"Elizabeta! I don't want to start the forest on fire!" she shouts in my head. "I can't help you!" She drops to a lower altitude and disappears in a puff of smoke and flames. So much for that idea.

"A little help here?" Gilbert yells. He's hacking at the tentacles that try to wrap themselves around him.

I spin my spear expertly over my head and slice several tentacles before they can reach the albino. I quickly have to fend more away from myself. The tentacles that are rooted in the ground also rise up to attack us, and the monster lets out a roar. I notice light pulsing in the appendages that were in the ground, and everything suddenly clicks.

"This thing is feeding off the energy of the forest!" I shout to Gilbert. "Cut all of the tentacles in the ground!"

We go after the limbs sunk deep into the ground. The severed ends disappear as soon as we slice through them. It quickly becomes apparent that we're outnumbered. The tentacles surround us on all sides.

"What do we do?" I scream in a panic.

"Fight harder!" Gilbert shouts back. He begins to emit a red energy that envelops him in power. It focuses itself on the edges of the Bear's double axes.

"Enhanced claws," I say in awe. It's just like the legend says.

He cuts down a huge section of tentacles, which allows us to escape, and the two of us hack and slice away as many writhing arms as we can. Soon there aren't any left. We take a moment to watch the shadow creature growl in agony before attacking its main body. A few stabs and slices leave it a lifeless blob that dissolves into dust.

"Well done. I see you've defeated my little pet." Kirkland steps out from behind a tree at the top of the crater. "I don't like it when people kill my servants. I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

This is the first time I've seen his face since we met at the ceremony. He has messy hair and the biggest eyebrows I've ever seen. His eyes glow red as he starts to chant some nonsense words. Shadow creatures like the one we followed into the forest begin to appear from the dark places between trees. They swarm toward us at the bottom of the crater. Unlike the Walkers, they crawl on all fours and have sharp teeth. They hiss as they come after us.

"Have fun," Kirkland says with a twisted smirk.

"Get in the air!" Gil shouts. "There's too many of them!" He releases his energy and jumps up with his white wings extended. He hovers just under the tree canopy.

I snap open my wings and try to take off too, but something keeps me from getting off the ground. I turn around to see a shadow holding onto one of my golden feathers with its teeth. I try to tug the feather out of its mouth, but it won't let go.

"Jump, Lizzie! Jump!" Gilbert yells desperately.

"I'm trying!" I shout back. I hit the crawling shadow between its glowing red eyes with the blunt end of my spear. It falls back with a shriek as I jump into the air.

"Brother!" Ludwig roars as he and the others come tearing through the forest.

As soon as they appear, the shadow creatures scurry away as fast as they came. We're left with an empty crater in the middle of the forest.


	15. Gifts of the Forest

Gilbert and I land at the bottom of the crater and look around. Everything is silent. We quickly join the rest of our group at the top of the pit.

"What the heck just happened?" Lovino asks us.

"I have no idea," I reply. "One minute they were after us, and the next they're gone."

"Did we scare them off?" Kiku questions as he slings his bow over his shoulder.

"I don't think so," Ludwig answers. "They had the advantage of numbers. The four of us wouldn't have scared away that many of them."

"Especially since their master was here." The others look at me with wide eyes. "The guy Gil and I saw was Kirkland, the shadow the Great Mother fought in the legend."

"Seriously?" Gilbert asks me. The others look around the area nervously.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Feli asks me in concern.

"No. I'm fine. Gil?"

"Never better!" he says with a grin. "Kesesese! We sure showed them! Even though it was the shadow guy, we still kicked butt! I used my awesome new power!"

Ludwig gives his brother a questioning look. "New power? You mean from the Temple?"

"Yep! It was awesome!"

"I've been meaning to ask about that," I interrupt. "Now that we have these powers, I can sense this energy. When I heal people, it uses the energy. Do you know what I'm talking about, Gil?"

"Eh, now that you mention it, I did feel something like that," the white haired Bear says. "It's kind of like when you summon your spirit animal. You feel it coming from the inside and it flows out. Like this!" He makes some weird hand gestures. "I don't know how else to describe it."

"Well, you did a pretty crappy job if you ask me," Lovino mutters.

Gilbert tenses but doesn't say anything back. "Hey, where's Prussia?"

Just then the white bear comes flying out of the woods and tackles his partner. The two of them go rolling down the crater. We're too surprised to react at first, but pretty soon we're laughing. Even Ludwig and Lovino are chuckling. All thoughts of Kirkland are forgotten.

"Nice one, idiot!" Lovino yells down to Gil.

Gilbert and the large bear are wrestling at the bottom of the crater as Gilbert shouts insults at his partner. This goes on until they're both too tired to fight each other.

"Alright...time to go back...talk to ya later, pal," the albino pants as the white bear fades away. Gilbert climbs back up to the rest of us and starts walking into the forest. "Let's get back. I'm sure it's time for dinner soon, and I have some questions for our friend Kor."

We walk through the woods back to Sylvumbra. I listen to Feli tell me all about basket weaving as we walk at the back of the group. It's mostly him telling me about all the cute girls he met, and not so much about actually making any baskets. I get the feeling he didn't actually make any.

"Lovi was being a crab though," Feli tells me as we exit the forest. "He just kept weaving baskets and ignored all of the pretty girls that tried to talk to him."

I giggle at the mental image that makes. I can just imagine the moody Wolf telling some girls to get lost as he tries to weave a basket.

"Hey! What are you saying about me back there!" the elder twin shouts to us.

"Nothing!" I shout back. I stifle my laughter as he turns around.

We walk past a lot of buildings, but there doesn't seem to be anybody inside of them. The town is eerily quiet, and it gives me a bad feeling. We end up at the large meeting hall, but it's empty too.

"Where is everyone?" Ludwig murmurs.

We head back outside, and find ourselves surrounded by the people of the village. I recognize many of the ones in the front as the sick people I had been treating earlier. They smile happily at me, and I can see that their shadow burns are gone. Kor steps forward with a big smile on his face.

"Champions of the Protector, you have done what we could not. You have destroyed the shadow monster that has plagued our forest and sucked its life energy. For that, we will forever be in your debt."

"First things first! What's going on here?" Gilbert demands. "We show up to some town that I didn't even know existed, and then you have some weird monsters running around here. What is this place?"

A sad look comes over the village leader's face. "We haven't been completely honest with you. It is true that we've lived here for centuries, but this village has only existed for a few weeks. We created it with our magic in hopes that someone would stop to help us, and here you are." He takes another few steps forward. "The people of this village are actually spirits and minor gods and goddesses of this forest."

He waves his hand, and everyone's appearance changes. People with vine and leaves in their hair now have vines and leaves for hair. Everyone's skin is now different shades of green, and their eyes vary from green to yellow to pink. They all wear leaves, bark, and flowers instead of clothes. Children that had insect wings have shrunken in size and look like cute little fairies. Some of the elders even have bark and mushrooms growing right from their skin.

Kor's appearance has changed the most. His skin is now completely olive green, and his eyes glow yellow like a cat's. They even have slits instead of pupils like a cat's. His wild hair has become grass and twigs, and it's no more tame than it was before. Moss and bark grow over his body like clothes, and dirt smudges his skin where it's exposed. He smiles impishly at us.

"My real name is Korinth-Natali. I am the minor god in charge of this forest." He bows deeply and we salute him in return. "When the shadows started to suck the life out of the forest, we didn't know what to do. We aren't strong deities, and some aren't deities at all. Those shadow victims you saw were infected because the life was being drained from the places they are guardians of."

Several of the little fairies flitter to me and each give me a small peck on the cheek. The spot where their lips touched my skin tingles slightly.

"You have defeated the shadows and restored peace to our forest," Kor tells us. He approaches me and places something in my hand. "This is to show our gratitude for the service you have done us. If you ever need assistance, play three notes on these pipes and help will find you. However, they will only summon help once, so choose carefully when you use them."

I look down at the set of carved wooden pipes just as Kor takes a step back. I look back up in time to see the buildings of the village begin to disappear. The forest spirits turn and flock to the forest, leaving us alone with their leader.

"Farewell, champions of the Protector. May you find strength for your journey."

Kor smirks one more time and lopes away into the forest as nimble as a deer.


	16. Crossing Borders

I hadn't known what to expect once we reached the border.

It's been four days since our escapade at Sylvumbra, and we've continued walking toward the southeastern border between Bear and Wolf Territories. We left the forest clearing where the village had once been after reflecting on what had happened there. The pipes had been passes from hand to hand as everyone examined the gift from the forest spirits. I ended up holding onto it, and it's currently in my pack.

We had walked for the next two days until we reached Salictiligna to resupply. We left the same day. Our time helping the people at Sylvumbra had set is back a few days, and we needed to keep moving. We continued on our way until Feli stopped us.

"Wait, everyone!" he had suddenly called out. "Do you smell that?"

We all stopped to take a whiff of the air, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Except to the Wolf twins.

"I smell it to!" Lovino had said excitedly. Without warning, he took off into the thinning woods with Feli on his heels.

That's how we end up following after them toward the edge of the forest. The sunlight is much brighter out in the open than in the shady woods where it is dimmed by the green canopy, and we have to cover our eyes as we burst through the woods. The contrast in the setting is surreal.

The forest abruptly ends, and the land seems to expand before our eyes. Miles of undisturbed horizon stretches out as far as the eye can see. Thick grass carpets the ground, and grows as high as my waist in some spots. The occasional tree stands guard over the lush grassland and gives the area a lonely look. That is until the wind blows and the grass ripples like a living being. The breeze stirs some butterflies from the wide variety of wildflowers growing here and there, and they flutter through the air in lazy circles.

"It's so different," I say in awe. I look back at the shady forest, which seems almost sinister in comparison to the bright, cheery grassland. I can distinctly smell the strong scent of heather, and I assume that's what the two Wolves must have smelt in the woods that got them so excited.

"We're home, Lovi!" Feli says excitedly as he hops around in the grass.

For once, Lovino has a huge smile on his face. "No more sleeping on rocks or hearing creepy sounds at night," he mumbles, mostly to himself. He turns to face the rest of us. "We'll show you how much better the Wolf Territory is compared to you idiot Bears'."

Gilbert's face twitches irritably, but he doesn't say anything. I quickly say something to ease the tension. "Why does it change so suddenly? It's like two different worlds."

"The goddesses respect each other's boundaries," Ludwig explains. "The forest does not cross into Wolf Territory, and the plains do not cross into Bear Territory."

"Not that they'd want to," Lovino adds rather rudely.

"Liza!" Feli calls happily. "Come pick flowers with me!"

I smile at the younger Wolf's cheerful expression. He's so excited over something so simple. I join him in a large patch of flowers and watch him tie stems together to make a necklace. When I was little I had learned to make crowns and jewelry out of flowers, so I begin picking pink and yellow flowers to fashion a crown for the Wolf.

"I suppose this is as good of a time as any for a break," Ludwig says with a sigh as he watches the two of us laugh over our flower creations.

Feli's first attempt at a necklace falls apart, but I help him fix it. He happily accepts the crown I make and struts around like royalty with it on. We make several more necklaces and crowns to distribute to the other members of our group. Ludwig gets a large orange necklace, and Kiku gets a white crown, both made by Feli. Lovino gets an orange and yellow crown from me. He blushes when I put it on his head, and he threatens to tear it to pieces if I try to put any more on him. He doesn't take the flower crown off though. I make one more long, pink and white necklace for Gilbert.

I find him sleeping in some tall grass, so I gently place the flowers around his neck the best I can. A small smile tugs at my lips as I think about the kiss we shared in Sylvumbra. We were interrupted before we could figure out what the kiss meant. Was it a spur of the moment decision, or did it have something real behind it? I study the peaceful Bear's face for an answer, but he sleeps on, oblivious to the fact that I'm standing next to him. I could even lean down and touch my lips softly to his without him noticing.

I never get to act on my impulse because something goes wrong. My legs loose all their strength and I drop to my knees. I'm shaking uncontrollably as a cold sweat breaks out over my skin. I do my best to focus on breathing as the shaking continues. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I count to ten over and over in my head to keep my mind off of the awful feeling in my chest, like something dark is gripping my heart.

The feeling begins to ease slightly, and my body stops shaking enough for me to stand up again. I walk away from Gilbert so I don't disturb him while I try to calm my racing heart. I'm almost completely back to normal now, and I make my way back to Feli, who is cheerfully making more flower necklaces to give to Ludwig.

"Hey, Liza!" The Wolf greets me with a big grin, which disappears as soon as he sees the unsteady condition I'm in. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I say quickly. It's not a complete lie since I feel a lot better than before. "I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine if I sit down for a while."

"Okay," Feli says. He accepts my answer but still looks concerned. "Oh, I know! Can I put flowers in your feathers and hair, Liza? You'll look so pretty!"

"Sure, Feli. Go for it."

I sit patiently as Feli carefully places flowers in my wings. It tickles slightly when he brushes some of my feathers aside, but I do my best to hold still. He also braids some flowers into my long hair. They're little pinpricks of color against my pale brown hair. I can tell the Wolf is really enjoying himself from the look on his face. He practically beams as he decides some delicate purple flowers would look better than larger orange ones on my golden wings. It's not long until he's finished and satisfied with his work, but a confused look crosses Feli's face, and he looks up at me questioningly.

"Liza, you're missing a feather," he says with concern laced in his voice.

I crane my head, but I can't get a good look that way. I stand up and slowly extend both of my wings for a better view, and despite my caution, a few flowers fall to the ground. True to Feli's words, my right wing is missing one of its primary feathers right near the tip. I furrow my brows as I try to figure out why it's missing.

"I shouldn't be molting yet," I murmur to myself. I rack my brain for an explanation for the absent feather. Then it dawns on me. "The Crawlers."

"Crawlers?"

"Yeah, those shadow creatures that we fought in the woods. The ones that disappeared as soon as you showed up. I call them Crawlers," I explain. I take another look at my wing. "One of them got a hold of a feather and must have pulled it out when I knocked it in the face."

"What's going on over here?" Gilbert's groggy voice startles me as he walks up behind me. "I wake up covered in flowers, and I figured it must have been you two since you're both covered in flowers too." He quickly looks over Feli, then me, but his eyes linger on me for a brief moment longer before flicking back up to our faces. "Pink isn't my color. It's totally not awesome."

"I think you look good," I say without thinking.

The corner of his mouth quirks up into a smirk, and I blush at what I just admitted to. It wouldn't have been as embarrassing if Feli wasn't standing right there.

"Well, if Lizzie says I look awesome, then it must be true." Gilbert comes close enough so only I can hear what he whispers next. "You look good covered in flowers too. Good enough to carry away and never bring back." He chuckles softly as my blush deepens. His gaze falls on the empty space where my feather should have been. "What happened to your wing?"

"Crawlers," I say simply. I'm a little breathless from Gilbert's close proximity.

The Bear lightly brushes his fingers across my feathers, which sends a shiver down my spine. "Are you okay? It doesn't hurt, does it?" The concern in his voice makes me smile a bit. I'm not used to people caring about me so much.

"No, I didn't even notice it until now," I tell him. My mind keeps wandering back to our kiss, and I wonder if he's thinking about it too.

"Be a little more carefull next time, Lizzie. I don't know what I'd do if-"

He never finished his sentence because I collapse to the ground. I grasp my head in between my hands as pain pulses beneath my skull. It feels as if a blacksmith is pounding thick iron spikes into my head in time with my heartbeat. The throbbing increases to stay in tempo with my panicked heartbeat. I'm vaguely aware of a piercing shriek nearby, and it takes a few painful moments to realize it's coming from me.

Several faces pass through my vision, but it's hard to tell who it is through my half closed eyes. The only thing I'm sure of is the pain that won't go away. It doesn't worsen, but it doesn't lessen either. The monotony is another kind of pain in and of itself.

Suddenly, my eyes focus on one face in particular. It's impossible not to notice the mess of white hair on Gilbert's head, and the piercing red eyes that look at me with worry and something else I can't place. I can feel his arms wrap around me tightly. His mouth is moving, but I can't process what he's saying.

"...zie...eve...ing...is...oing to be...jus...st...ith me a...ttle longer."

I wish that I could make out what he was saying, but my consciousness is growing hazy. Thinking becomes as difficult as wading through waist deep mud. Add the pounding pain on top of that and it's like trudging through mud while being repeatedly prodded with a sharp stick. A really big, really sharp stick.

Mercifully, my eyes slip shut, and I fall into the unfeeling state of unconsciousness.


	17. Oblivion

The first thing I notice is that the pain is gone. The second thing is the ground is really hard. I slowly open my eyes, expecting to be blinded by sunlight, but nothing of the sort happens. The ground is neither cool nor warm under my cheek, and it takes me a moment to realize I'm lying on my stomach instead of my side. My vision is slightly blurry, but I can definitely tell this is not the same place I was when I passed out.

"Gilbert? Kiku? Feli?" I call out in a rough voice. There's no response, and I push myself up to look around. "Ludwig? Lovino?"

I'm met with an ominous silence. I swivel my head around to try to get my bearings. This definitely doesn't look like Wolf Territory. To my left the land looks like a broken mess of stone and large masses of earth. It's like a mountain crumbled to pieces, and this is the left over debris. To my right there's a beach made of gray sand. It meets the largest body of water I've ever seen in my life. The word "ocean" comes to mind, but I've never seen one before since they're just a rumor in Elarium. I imagine this is what it would look like though.

I carefully stand up and brush the dust and off of my clothes. The broken land doesn't look promising, so I walk toward the shoreline. Everything is different shades of black and gray, including the water that noiselessly laps at the shore. There's no noticeable source of light in the dreary, gray sky, which makes the whole landscape seem like it's made of shadows, but not at the same time. Silent shadows that could be hiding anything.

My body involuntarily shivers, not from cold, but the eeriness of this place. How had I gotten here? The last thing I remember was Gilbert trying to talk to me and throbbing pain. Horrible, unbearable pain. At least nothing hurts here, but there's not a lot of other feeling happening here either. It's not hot or cold, bright or dark, happy or sad. This place just is.

Standing around isn't going to do me any good, so I start walking down the beach. I can feel the sand shifting beneath my feet, but it doesn't make a sound. The only thing I can hear is the sound of my own breathing, which is beginning to drive me a little crazy. I pause to look around again, but it's as if I haven't moved at all. The landscape looks exactly the same as before, and I wonder if I really have made any progress or not.

"What is this place?" I murmur to myself. Even though it was hardly more than a whisper, my voice rings out loudly.

"This is my home," a voice from behind me answers.

I whirl around to see a shadowy, cloaked figure sitting on some of the rubble that's behind the beach. He seems too far away to have sounded so close, but nothing seems to work here the way it should. I jog over to the figure, and my eyes widen when I realize it's Kirkland sitting on a broken rock with a large grin on his shadowy face.

"Welcome to Oblivion," he says in a mocking way. "Make yourself at home because you won't be leaving for quite some time, I assure you."

"How did I get here?" I ask him tersely. "What is this place, exactly?"

"You're here because I brought you here," he replies with a smirk. "At least your mind is here. I'm not strong enough to bring your body here...yet." He practically spits the last word at me. "And here is where I've spent most of my existence. It's a kind of netherworld. A world that isn't."

Kirkland hops of his rock and begins to circle around me. His eyes stare into me as if he's trying to pick out every weakness and flaw in my soul. He reaches out a hand and trails his fingers along my face. I flinch at the coldness of his touch. His fingers are cool like a place that has always been in shadows, somewhere never touched by the warming rays of the sun.

"This is the awful place where people like me have been doomed to stay for the rest of eternity. People who have committed some horrible treason against the goddesses. There is nothing here. There is no warmth, but there is no cold. No happiness, but no sadness. No hunger, but no contentment."

He walks down to the water, and I follow him. He scoops up dark water between his hands and motions with his eyes for me to put out my hands. I comply, but reluctantly. Kirkland is the enemy I'm supposed to fight, and I wouldn't put it past him to try to trick me. He must realize the reason behind my hesitation and smirks.

"Don't worry, love. I'm not going to hurt you. You're already trapped here with almost no hope of escape. It'll be more satisfying for me to watch you suffer here than kill you." He laughs darkly as he lets the water pour into my outstretched hands.

I expect the water to be ice cold, but I hardly feel it as it dribbles into my hand. I slosh it around a bit then let it fall to the sand. The damp sand becomes almost black where the water lands.

"See what I mean?" Kirkland says with a quirk of an oversized eyebrow. "It's not cold. It's not warm. It is, but it isn't." He stalks away from the water without another glance back. "Are you coming or not?"

I follow the shadow man back toward the broken landscape. He jumps up onto some jagged rocks and turns around to offer me a hand up. I look at him quizzically, which causes him to smile.

"I may be trying to plunge your world into shadow, but that doesn't mean I'm not a gentleman."

I debate whether I should accept his hand or not. I don't want to be rude, but then again, Kirkland isn't someone that necessarily warrants my manners. In the end, I clasp his hand, and he pulls me up onto the rock.

"What's beyond this?" I ask him as I gaze across the rugged horizon. "What else is out there?"

"I guess I should tell you since you'll be spending the rest of your life here," Kirkland says with a smile full of malice. "If you go far enough you'll find another shore just like that one," he says as he points behind him. "No one knows if it's the same one or if this is an island. No one cares enough to find out. This is a land of perpetual twilight, love, and it'll suck your will to live." He pauses long enough for a crazed look to cross his face. "That is, unless you have a reason to live. A reason to fight on."

I watch in horror as he cackles maniacally. "What made you like this?"

Kirkland's glowing red eyes shine brightly as he turns to look at me. "This place made me like this. It emptied me of everything except my desire for revenge." He hops to another rock as nimbly as an acrobat. "I was banished here because I wanted more than what your goddesses thought I deserved."

I stare at him in horror. "Who are you?"

"Me, love?" he says amusedly. "I am Arthur Kirkland. The Lord of Oblivion. The shadow of legends. Or perhaps I should tell you I am a former god of magic."

A small gasp escapes my lips. "You were a god? But...why-"

"Was I banished?" He finishes my sentence as if he can read my mind. "It's really quite simple. I wanted power, more than I already possessed, but the goddesses didn't like that one bit." He laughs again, but this time without humor. "So, to prevent me from doing anything they wouldn't...approve of...they sent me to this wasteland to rot."

He turns away from me and hops to another rock. If he keeps going he'll eventually blend in with the shadowy landscape to the point where I can't see him anymore. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of him disappearing on me, so I follow his lead and jump to a hunk of earth close to the shadow man. I flare my wings out to balance me as I land, which catches Kirkland's attention.

"You angels and your wings," he says in a voice sprinkled with dark mirth. "Lovely things they are." He reaches out a hand to touch the wingtip that is missing a feather. "Yet, they are your greatest weakness. So easily damaged, so easily manipulated." A wide, toothy grin stretches across his face. "I never did tell you exactly how I brought you here, did I, love?"

"No, you haven't," I answer warily. I'm not sure what he's getting at.

"Maybe this will make things more clear." The shadow man pulls a feather out from behind his cloak. "Look familiar?"

There's no mistaking where he got the feather from. It's been tainted to a shadowy gray color, but gold still glitters through some parts as if it hasn't been completely saturated with shadow.

Kirkland must notice me tense because his smile grows. "This is how I brought you here, darling. I have not recovered enough power to physically bring you here, but my curse was strong enough to bring your mind here, and that's enough for now." He twists the tainted feather between his fingers. "Once it turns completely black your body will be brought here, and you'll never be able to leave."

I tense my legs as subtly as possible, and spring at Kirkland faster than the eye can follow. He somehow manages to anticipate my move, and is gone before I reach the rock he was standing on. I land on it long enough to push off into the air. It makes me uncomfortable that I can't see the shadow man. I hover as I search for him on the debris below.

"Looking for someone?"

I shoot away from Kirkland's voice, but he suddenly appears in front of me.

"I can see that your wings are going to be a nuisance, love, so I'm going to have to do something about it."

He snaps his fingers, and my wings fold closed against my back and refuse to move. I plummet to the ground and land roughly on my back. Luckily, I don't land on anything sharp or pointed. That doesn't mean it hurts any less. My landing forces the air from my lungs, and I hear a distinct snap as one of my ribs is forced into an unnatural position. I would scream if there was air in my lungs, but all I can do is writhe in pain, and try not to fall off the large rock I landed on.

"Like I said," Kirkland purrs into my ear. "Easily damaged, easily manipulated." He stands up straight and looks down at me. "Your time is running out, love. Soon you will have no way to leave this place. I suggest you find something worthwhile to think about for eternity."


	18. Oblivion's Heart

I don't know how long I've been laying on the ground. Time doesn't seem to work the same here either. I try to move as little as possibly because the smallest twitch sends a searing pain up my side. I've never broken a bone before, and it wasn't an experience I had thought I'd have to go through all by myself in a shadowy netherworld.

It takes all my strength not to break down when I force myself to sit up. I grit my teeth against the pain until it settles back into a dull ache. My eyes are shut tight, and I let my head hang between my knees until the nauseous feeling in my stomach dies down. For a world in which I'm not supposed to feel much, I'm feeling quite a bit.

I slowly open my eyes once I'm confident that I can keep it together. Kirkland is still here, but he's moved to a different rock. He smiles crookedly at me when he sees I'm moving.

"Well, I'm glad a little fall like that wasn't enough to put the Savior of Elarium out of business," he says with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

I ignore him and stand up. The pain is starting to subside, but it flares up again as I move. A small hiss escapes me as I try my hardest not to show any weakness. I place a shaky hand in the general area of the broken rib and try to gather my energy there. It's sluggish, but my energy eventually makes its way to my hands. The glow it gives off can be described as pathetic at best. I wait for something to happen, but nothing does.

"That's an interesting power you have there," Kirkland says as he appears right next to me. He grabs my wrist and yanks my hand up closer to his face. I yelp as the movement sends pain down my side. "Sorry, love. Didn't mean to be so rough," he says with more amusement than sincerity. "Looks like this power wasn't meant to be used on yourself. Still, it's a nice thought. Too bad it doesn't work."

The shadow man releases my hand, and I pull it back quickly. His touch unnerves me because it requires him to be in close proximity with me. He must sense my discomfort because he moves even closer.

"Let me help you with that."

His voice is almost pleasant, which makes him sound even more dangerous. Without warning, Kirkland jabs two fingers into my side, right by the broken rib. A scream tears through my throat as pain explodes from the side of my chest. I drop back to my knees, which feels like defeat after all the work I went through just to stand up.

"Come on. Snap out of it, love," Kirkland says as he brushes my hair out of my face. If I wasn't gasping with pain I'd be repulsed by his intimate touch. "It's all better now, see?" He gently pokes my side again, and surprisingly, it doesn't hurt. I clutch my side in shock. "Don't look so surprised," he says with a smirk.

"You almost sound like you care," I say through gritted teeth.

This gets the shadow man all bent out of shape. "Geh...er...eck! It...it's not like that!" he practically shouts. "I just thought it wouldn't be as fun to watch you suffer if you can barely move! Don't mistake that for kindness!"

"Whatever you say," I mumble as I stand up. I hop to the next rock and the next without looking back. "Thanks, Kirkland, but I'll be on my way now."

"Where are you going?" he shouts. I can't hear him moving, but I don't doubt he's following me. "I didn't say you could go anywhere!"

I pause to let the shadowy man catch up, and his eyes blaze when they lock onto mine. "I didn't know I needed your permission." I purposely add a little extra sass to my voice, and I can tell it annoys him.

"I am the Lord of Oblivion! I dictate what goes on around here," Kirkland says indignantly.

"And just how did you get all this authority, your shadowy highness?"

He ignores my teasing and looks at me with a serious expression. "I didn't fade away like the others."

"Others?" I question. "Where are they?"

"Keep going and you'll find out," he replies mysteriously.

Kirkland doesn't bother waiting for me, and continues to jump from rock to rock. I follow him further in to this strange world, and away from the beach where I woke up. It's not that I trust the man that commands the shadows, but he's proven that he doesn't mean to kill me while I'm here. Yes, while I'm here, because I plan on escaping. I just have no idea how yet.

We leap across the broken landscape for what could be hours, or it could be minutes. It's impossible to gauge how much time actually goes by in this shadowy place. I focus on the bobbing figure of Kirkland ahead of me. He's told me quite a bit more than I'd expect from someone who's supposed to be my mortal enemy. He's either confident I'm not leaving this place, or he has some other motive to try to gain my trust. It occurs to me for a split second that he could just be lonely and need someone to talk to. If I wasn't hopping across a bleak land I'm supposedly never going to leave, I would've laughed at the thought.

Suddenly, Kirkland disappears, and I realize we've come to the end of the debris strewn land. I hop down from my rock onto flat ground. The scene that meets my eyes is like nothing I've ever seen. Grass that's taller than me grows in an almost impenetrable gray wall in front of us. I'm afraid that walking into the grass means being swallowed up by it, which I don't imagine is how I get out of here.

"What now?" I ask the shadow man, who looks at me mischievously.

"You just walk, and it takes you wherever you need to be. It has limits of course," he adds.

"So it won't take me out of here," I mumble. I knew it would be too much to hope for.

"Why in such a rush to leave, love?" Kirkland says with a suggestive smirk. "Don't like being here with me?"

My mind flashes to Gilbert without being bidden to. I feel a small flutter in my chest when I think about his smile, and those piercing red eyes. Unlike Kirkland's, Gil's red eyes have a sparkle that makes me trust him with my life.

"Sorry, as much as I love what you've done with this place, there's someone I have to get back to."

Kirkland looks at me, and his large brows furrow in confusion when he sees my smile. "And who could that possibly be?"

"It doesn't matter," I say teasingly. I'm sure not telling him is going to drive the shadow master nuts. "Let's go because, personally, I want to know where I'm supposed to be."

I fearlessly step through the wall of gray grass with Kirkland hot on my heels. The grass seems to bend out of the way for me, and I follow the path it creates. I strut through the grass with confidence, but the shadow handler behind me seems nervous. He stays as close to me as he can without actually climbing on my back.

I turn around and give him a look. "What? The Lord of Oblivion is scared of some grass?"

"N-no!" he shouts back defensively. "I just...I don't like where it takes me sometimes...that's all." He looks around nervously.

"Where has it taken you?" I ask. I'm genuinely curious about a place that makes the high and mighty Kirkland quake in his black leather boots.

"Your rather not know," he says darkly. "There are darker depths to this place that you'd rather not see." Kirkland's serious expression brightens a little, and a small smirk tugs on his lips. "But you'll see them eventually, love. You have all of eternity to explore this dismal land."

"We'll see about that," I tell him with a smirk of my own. Thoughts of Gilbert once again flitter across my mind as we exit the grass field.

Kirkland pushes past me in, what I assume, is an attempt to get away from the monochromatic grass. He runs toward a gigantic tree at the top of a gently sloping hill. It easily dwarfs the tree that I saw in front of the Maple Manor at Monteurbem. I follow him toward the gray tree, which seems to be surrounded by the tall, gray grass. It grows in a circle around the tree's hill as if it couldn't come closer if it wanted. The shadowy man stops at the base of the tree and places a hand on it.

"This is very interesting," Kirkland says to me. "It's not often that someone is led here."

"Why? What is this place?"

"Some people think this is the center of Oblivion, if there is such a thing." The shadow handler turns to me with a grin. "Would you like to hear a story?"

I shrug. "I guess so. Not much else to do here. I'll be leaving soon anyway."

"Confidence, that's way I like about you, Elizabeta." His voice makes my name sound like a guilty pleasure, and I shiver in disgust. I've been telling myself that the look in Kirkland's eyes don't contain hints of something I don't really like. Longing, desire, lust. I keep trying to convince myself, but it's not working.

A single rustle draws our attention. A shadowy, hunched figure emerges from the tall grass. It slowly hobbles across the empty circle where the tree stands and disappears back into the tall grass. Several more emerge from the grass after the first. They fade in and out of visibility as they limp, and some flicker as if they're a mirage that doesn't actually exist. A few of them walk back into the grass, but others stay in the circle of the tree. They move closer to the two of us standing under the gray tree's dark branches.

"What are they?" I ask with wide eyes.

"Other souls banished to exist here for the rest of eternity, if you can call this existing," he answers with contempt coloring his voice. "This place drains away their life force until they are mere shadows of what they used to be, which is very convenient for me."

Kirkland raises his hand and mutters some words under his breath. The faded figure he's gesturing at freezes. It doubles over on itself, and its limbs contort in impossible ways. I don't hear it make a noise, but I can imagine pained screaming in my head. The shadow takes on a more familiar shape and red eyes open to glare at me. In the place of the half faded figure now stands a Walker with claws extended.

"They don't call me the shadow handler for nothing, love," Kirkland says with a smirk. "The one perk of this place is that it offers me as many creatures as I need to cover your world in an endless twilight." The shadowy man's eyes burn brightly as his excitement grows. "And now that you're stuck here, there's nothing you, or those pesky goddesses, can do about it."


	19. Tree of Light

The Walker Kirkland created looks around as if it's never seen its surroundings before. It moans softly and wanders away.

"Will it be alright on its own?" I ask Kirkland as it disappears into the grass.

"Showing compassion for a creature you'd kill without a second thought?" the shadow handler asks with a raised eyebrow. "How.....twisted."

"It's not like that," I say in my own defense. "I only kill them because you make them attack me and my friends."

"Touché," the shadowy man says with a chuckle. "Are you still in the mood for a story, love?"

"Sure, why not?" I settle on the ground against the tree. Despite the fact it looks lifeless, I can sense a weak, thrumming life force deep within the tree. I try to hone in on it, but Kirkland's voice disturbs me.

"This netherworld of being and not being did not always exist," he explains in a smooth voice. It flows like silk around me, but I do my best not to get snared by it. "The goddesses created it as a place to send those who they say have committed crimes too great to repent of. It was made as a place for people to reflect on what they've done, but what the goddesses didn't count on, was for it to become a corrupt and shadowy place."

The master of shadows gestures, with his back toward me, to the land around us. "The ill will of those who were banished here slowly tainted this place to be empty of feeling and color. Eventually those people faded away too, or they did until I came here to give them purpose."

"By purpose you mean turning them into mindless creatures to do your evil bidding?" I ask sarcastically.

"Ah ah ahhhh." Kirkland turns around and wags a finger in my face. "Don't interrupt someone when they're telling a story, love. It's rude."  
He grins at me and continues his story. "Now where was I? Oh yes, I came here and gave this place meaning. I gained more power than I could've imagined from the dark feelings of the inhabitants, which I used to crown myself Lord of Oblivion."

A cackle from the shadowy man echoes around the empty field, and his eyes glow menacingly. "I used my power to escape from this dismal prison and begin my revenge against the goddesses that condemned me." The grin on his face contorts into a sneer as if an unpleasant thought crossed his mind. "Unfortunately, that meddler Matrisus had to get involved and ruin all of my plans. She sent me back to this miserable place with my power in shambles, but fear not, love. I'm back and ready for another go. Now that that pesky goddess is out if the way, nothing can stop me!"

"I'll stop you," I tell the shadow handler. I set my face in a steely, determined expression. "I'm not going to let you win."

"We shall see about that, love," Kirkland says softly. He gently traces my jawline with his finger. "You have the perfect opportunity to stop me now, but you don't have the power to do that yet."

I don't know if it's because of his cool, unnerving touch, or the words he spoke, but my confident facade slips a little. "W-what do you mean?"

"How about another story?" the shadow man says as he walks past me a little ways. "Don't fret, this one is fairly short."

"What's this one about?" I ask with minimal interest. I don't really want to hear another story about Kirkland and his ego.

"Oh, I think you'll like this story," he says with a sly smirk. "It's about you, love."

"Me?" I ask in surprise. That was unexpected.

"Yes, you. You see this tree here?" He indicates to the gray tree I'm sitting up against. "The Great Mother planted this tree in the supposed heart of Oblivion as a fail safe in case I ever escape again. It is known, ironically, as the Tree of Light. Doesn't really live up to its name, does it?"

"What does this have to do with me?" I ask with narrowed eyes. I'm not sure I like where this is going.

"It has everything to do with you." Kirkland's grin widens, and takes on a menacing look. "You're the only one that can tap into the dormant powers of the Tree and purge this place of its dark power, and in doing so, destroying my power."

"How?" My eyes go wide at what the shadowy man is implying. If he's telling the truth, that means I'm closer to fulfilling my my role than I ever was before.

Kirkland turns away and gives me a nonchalant shrug. "I don't really know. All I know is that you're supposed to be like Matrisus, so you're the only one that has the potential to stop me. And I say potential because in your current state, love, you couldn't dream of reviving this tree. You could barely muster enough energy to attempt healing yourself."

I watch the shadowy man pace back and forth for a while before engaging him again. "Why are you telling me all this?" I ask him warily. Even if he is telling the truth, there has to be a catch to all of this.

"Because you're going to be stuck here forever, and I thought you'd like to know how close you were to succeeding before you failed."

I stand up and make sure I put plenty of warning into my voice as I speak. "Like I said, I have someone to see. I'm not going to be here much longer."

"That's what you think," the shadow handler says as he faces me. He holds up my tainted feather, which has darkened since the last time I saw it. "As long as I have this, your consciousness is bound to Oblivion by my curse. When it turns completely black, your body will also be trapped here."

I barely let Kirkland finish before snatching the feather from his hand. "So all I have to do is get rid of this?" I crush the dark feather in my fist, and it crumbles into a gray dust that resembles the sand on the beach. "Now what?"

"You....!" 

Kirkland growls like an angry animal at me. His red eyes flash dangerously, and he begins to grow until he stands three times my height. He's hunched over, and his hands seem to have enlarged and grown claws. Suddenly, he shrinks back to his original size so fast I barely caught it. I would've missed it had I blinked.

"It's of no importance to me if the curse is gone. Your mind is still trapped here, leaving your body in Elarium an empty shell, and there's no way you can get back on your own, love." Kirkland puts on a show of confidence, but he runs his hand through his messy hair nervously. "I've still won in the end."

"Oh really?" I taunt with a raise of an eyebrow. "We'll see what the Tree of Light has to say about that." I have no clue whether what I'm about to do will work or not, but I'm hoping he won't call my bluff.

I place a hand on the gigantic tree and send my energy out into it. A soft pulse, like a weak heartbeat, meets my golden energy, which begins to thrum in unison. I feel my mind brushing up against another consciousness, and I pull back slightly, but the other life force calls me back kindly.

"Elizabeta......Elizabeta....."

I turn to look at the tree behind me. I swear it just talked to me, and said my name on top of that. Kirkland must not have heard it, but he definitely notices my surprised movement.

"What do you think you're doing?" he questions, but I have no intention of answering.

"Elizabeta........take.....power.............go.......home..."

"Home?" The simple word has never sounded so good in my life.

"Go.........home.....will.............wait.......he..........needs.....you..."

"Who? Who needs me?" I desperately ask the Tree, but it begins to pull its consciousness away. "Gilbert? Is something happening to Gilbert? Please, wait!" I try with all my might to hold on, but the Tree severs our connection. A small amount of its energy remains, and I absorb it like I was told to.

This energy is like nothing I've ever felt before. The power from the Tree flows through my body, and I feel it unlock something inside, something that's been dormant my whole life. My senses expand in a way I've never experienced, or perhaps it's a new sense all together. I can feel the faint energy that weakly pulses in the Tree of Light, and I can feel the dark energy that flows throughout the whole land. The most overwhelming energy in the area comes from Kirkland. It's a massive swirling mass of different feelings. Hate, disgust, contempt, anger, annoyance, and hidden behind it all, loneliness.

He notices a change in my countenance, and glares at me with distrust. "I don't know what you just did, but it won't help you. No one from Oblivion can save you now."

As soon as the words leave his lips, I feel a tugging sensation on my shoulders. It's very faint at first, but it slowly grows in intensity. Warmth spreads from my lips to the rest of my body as I begin to shine with the purest energy I've ever felt.

"N-no! This can't be right!" Kirkland shouts in disbelief. "There's no way someone can be calling you back to Elarium! You're a orphan! You don't have anyone that loves you!"

"Gilbert," I whisper to myself. "Kiku...Feli...Are you calling me back?"

"This is impossible! The only way you could be brought back is through true love! This isn't possible!" The master of shadows drops to his knees while glaring daggers at me. "I could've made you Queen of Oblivion! I could've saved you from the pain I'm about to unleash on your world! I won't take it easy on you anymore! I'll tear apart everything that's important to you! And then I'll get you! I'll bring you back here and make you suffer!" he screams. A crazed look has come over his features, and all pretense of friendliness has disappeared. He downright hates me. 

"I'm sorry, Kirkland," I tell him as I begin to rise in the air. I can feel a disturbance in the energy of the netherworld, and I assume I don't have much time left. "I have to go, but I promise I'll be back! You can count on it!"

I can't be sure he even heard what I said because at that moment I get sucked into some kind of portal and black out.

Unlike the unfeeling world I woke up to last time, I wake to the feeling of gentle warmth. It envelops my whole body, but it's concentrated at my lips. My eyelids flutter open, and my eyes lock with bright red ones above me. For a moment I'm afraid something went horribly wrong and I'm back with Kirkland in Oblivion. Then I notice the depth of emotion swirling in the crimson pools, and I know it can't be the shadow handler.

"Elizabeta."

I swear my name has never sounded so beautiful than when it came from Gilbert's lips.


	20. The Place Where You Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made up the song Elizabeta sings for this story, so I'm sorry if it doesn't flow very well XD

"Gilbert," I whisper in relief.

The Bear strokes some hair away from my face and gazes longingly into my eyes. "I can't believe that worked," he says in amazement.

"What worked?" I ask him in confusion.

"I kissed you," he says in the softest, sweetest voice I've ever heard him use. "I kissed you, and you came back to me."

A small smile tugs at my lips. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Gil leans down and gives me another kiss, which I'm not complaining about. The warmth of his lips on mine is a comforting feeling after the emptiness of Oblivion. We break apart slightly and I look up into his crimson eyes.

"How long was I gone?" I ask hesitantly. I'm not sure if I really want to know the answer.

Gilbert's red eyes lose some of their sparkle. "Four days," he answers tersely.

I sit up rather abruptly. "Four days?" I repeat in disbelief. It can't be possible. It only felt like a few hours.

"Yeah, the awesome me and West had to carry you until we got to the closest town we could find," Gilbert explains. "There's a shaman here, so he's been trying to get you to wake up for the last two days."

I nod slowly as I try absorb this new information. "Four days," I murmur to myself, then look at the albino. "Where are we?"

"Pratilux," he replies. "It's not much more than a village, but they were nice enough to help us."

"Where is everyone?"

Gilbert smiles a bit at my question. "When they're not pacing around this hut they're usually helping people as much as they can. West and I are building some new houses, and the others are helping in the fields. I just stopped in to see if you were getting any better."

I laugh softly at that. "Somehow I don't imagine Feli is doing much helping if there are girls around."

The Bear cracks a smile. "Kesese. You're right about that."

I finally take a moment to look around the place I've been staying in. Gilbert wasn't kidding when he called it a hut. The floor is dirt, and the walls look like they've been made out of sod. Muted light comes in through the curtained windows, which aren't much more than holes in the walls. The roof appears to be thatched, and I can't help but wonder if it leaks when it rains.

My bed is surprisingly soft, and I would guess it's been stuffed using grass from the smell of it. I run my hands along the careful stitching in the quilt that used to be on top of me. These people really have been kind to me, and I'm a complete stranger.

"You really scared us." Gilbert's voice pulls my eyes back to his worried looking face. "We weren't sure if you were ever going to wake up," he says in a quiet voice.

That's when I notice the dark circles under his eyes that look like dark bruises on his pale skin. He must have spent many sleepless nights watching me in hopes that I would wake up. I reach my hand out to take his.

"I'm sorry, Gil. I didn't mean to scare you." I say it with all the sincerity possible.

Suddenly, the thin wooden door to my hut is pushed open slightly, and Feli and Kiku poke their heads inside. Their eyes widen to see me sitting up and awake.

"Liza!" Feli shouts excitedly. He rushes to my side and gives me a big hug. "I was so worried about you!"

"I know, I know," I tell him as I hug him back. "I'm sorry."

Gilbert steps back and allows us to have our moment together, but he doesn't leave. For that I'm thankful because I want the white haired Bear with me as much as possible. He's the reason I was able to come back. Kirkland said it was because of true love. Is that really the reason?

"I'm so glad you're awake, Liza," Feli says with a big smile. His words pull me back to reality. "Lovi's been extra cranky because he was worried about you."

I giggle when I think about the dark haired Wolf. There's no way he'd ever admit to being worried about me. "We should go find everyone, huh?"

"Yeah!" Feli agrees excitedly. He jumps off my bed and heads for the door. "I'll go tell everyone you're awake!"

I shake my head a little as he runs out the door. Same old Feli. I'm about to say something to Gilbert when a trembling voice reaches my ears.

"E-Elizab-beta."

I turn to see Kiku standing at the foot of my bed. With Feli jumping me, I had completely forgotten Kiku was even there. Now he stands with his head slightly bowed so that his dark hair clovers his eyes. The Eagle's shoulders are shaking slightly, and I realize even before he looks up that he's crying.

"E-Elizabeta...I w-was so s-scared," he says though his sobs. "I-I thought you w-wouldn't wake up.....I was s-s-so scared."

Wordlessly, I hold out my hand to him with my pinkie extended. Kiku wipes the tears from his eyes before linking his pinkie finger with mine. I pull him closer to me and have him sit on the edge of my bed. Another tear slips down his cheek, which I swipe away softly with a finger.

"Hey now, there's no need to cry," I say in a gentle voice. "It's okay, I'm right here."

"B-but what i-if you never woke up?" Kiku asks. "What w-would I d-do then?"

I purse my lips together. The shaking Eagle has no idea how close I was to never leaving that unfeeling netherworld, but it's probably better not to tell him. "You have Ludwig and Feli now. I'm sure they'd watch out for you." I give him a reassuring smile. "Besides, I would never leave you for good. We made a promise, remember?"

"Yes," Kiku says with a small nod. The memory seems to be calming him down enough for him to stop shaking.

I feel his finger tighten around mine, and I squeeze it right back. "We're family. There's no way I would let a creep like Kirkland split us up."

A tiny smile starts to form on the dark haired Eagles lips. "Will you sing that song you sang for me that time? Please?"

My mind goes back to the time Kiku is referring to. It was the night that we had finally decided to leave everything behind and start a new life as a family of two. It was more family than either of us had ever before known.

"I don't know, Kiku. I'm not the best singer," I say self consciously. I don't feel like singing in front of Gilbert.

"Please, Elizabeta," Kiku persists. "You have a better voice than you think."

I see the pleading in his dark eyes and sigh in defeat. There's no way I'm getting out of this one. I cast a quick glance at Gilbert, who is watching curiously, before starting to sing.

" _The birds in the meadows_

_The birds in the trees_

_The birds in the valleys_

_Are waiting for me._

_But I do not see them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are._

_The winds through the meadows_

_The winds through the trees_

_The winds through the valleys_

_Are blowing for me._

_But I do not feel them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are._

_The hearts of the meadows_

_The hearts of the trees_

_The hearts of the valleys_

_Are beating for me._

_But I do not hear them_

_I am not alone._

_I am in the place_

_Where you are."_

I didn't notice the other members of my group walk in while I was singing, so their sudden applause startles me.

"Wow, Liza! You sound so good!" Feli says happily. "Veeee~! I could listen to you all day!"

"Oh! No! Really...I'm not that good," I say in embarrassment. I can feel my face turning bright red.

"What Feliciano said is true," Ludwig says with a nod. "You really do have a nice voice, Elizabeta." My blush deepens at his praise.

"I can still sing better than that," Lovino says flippantly. "But you're not bad."

"Oh really?" I ask with my hands on my hips. "Let's hear you sing."

"Fine," the Wolf says stubbornly. "Only if I sing with my brother."

The two of them begin belting out some song about dancing through the grasslands with pretty girls on their arms. They do a little dance to go along with their song before moving on to the second verse. Kiku and I laugh at the silliness of the song, and I'm glad to see the Eagle is in better spirits.

My eyes flicker toward Gilbert, who has been leaning against the wall across from my bed. Our eyes meet, and I'm surprised to see the intensity of emotion behind them. He smiles in a way that I can only describe as loving. I hold out my hand to him, and he walks across the hut to take it.

I sit in bed with Kiku holding one hand and Gilbert the other. We watch the twin Wolves continue their song, and I can't but smile. This is the way it's supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pratilux: formed using prati and lux (meadow light)


	21. Truth

The two Wolves finish their song with a dramatic bow, and we clap for their silly performance. The light atmosphere in the small hut becomes serious once again when Ludwig voices the question in everyone's mind.

"So what happened to you, Elizabeta?"

I look around at the concerned faces around me and prepare to tell my story. There isn't anything in particular I feel like I shouldn't tell the group, so I tell them everything. I start at the beginning at the beach and keep going until I get to the Tree of Light. I don't include the part about Kirkland saying I could only be saved by true love, or Gilbert's kiss. There's still a lot going on with that that I'm not even sure about.

"So you might have been stuck there forever?" Kiku asks with wide eyes.

"Yeah, but you guys helped bring me back," I tell him reassuringly.

"But you still have to go back," Ludwig says in a somber manner.

"Thanks for all the happy thoughts, West." Gilbert is obviously unhappy with the idea, but he tries to hide it with teasing. I want to reach out to comfort him, but not in front of everyone.

I look at the blonde Bear and nod. "Yeah, I have to go back."

Silence falls on our group as we think about what that implies.

"If you go, you can't come back," Lovino says in a serious tone. There's no taunting or sarcasm in his voice, just cold hard truth. "That shadow bastard said you couldn't leave once your physical body entered that realm."

"I know," I say in a quiet voice.

"Well you're not going back," Gilbert says in a defiant tone.

"I have to, Gil. The fate of Elarium hangs in the balance." It's hard for me to admit, but it looks like I won't see the peace that'll come if we complete our quest.

"It's not fair," he growls with more venom than I could have imagined he was capable of. "It shouldn't have to end like that."

The older Bear storms out of the hut and slams he door shut. I stand up, but it's already too late. The others glance around with shocked looks on their faces. No one expected Gilbert, of all people, to lose his cool like that. He's usually one of the better natured members of our group.

"Gil..." I say softly. I debate whether I should go after him.

"Elizabeta," Ludwig says to get my attention. "You have to go after him."

"W-why me?" I had thought maybe Ludwig was going to volunteer.

"Because my brother needs you," the Bear clarifies. "He does not like the idea of losing you."

"M-me?" I ask with wide eyes. What does Ludwig mean?

"Yes you, idiot!" Lovino says with his usual snark. "He's obviously got the hots for you."

My mouth drops open. "W-wha-...no! How-...no!"

"There's no use denying it, Elizabeta," Kiku says with a knowing smile. "We all see it."

I meet the gazes of everyone else in the hut. They all say the same thing.

"My brother cares about you," Ludwig says. He voices the thoughts of all the others.

"We can see it in his eyes, Liza," Feli says with a smile. "It's in your eyes too."

"Go to him," Kiku urges.

Tears prick at my eyes. Everyone has known more about our relationship than me this whole time, which makes me feel a little slow. But at the same time they're being very supportive. Their kindness makes the tears spill over, and I quickly wipe them away.

"Thank you, everyone," I whisper.

I compose myself and shakily walk toward the door. Being bedridden for four days has taken its toll on me, but I push forward anyway. The thought of Gilbert hurting because of me is all the motivation I need to find him.

The sky is a soft orange when I exit my hut as the sun begins to descend toward the horizon. I take in the village around me in the dim light, and I'm surprised to see the houses are all covered in grass. They must all be made of sod like mine, and the grass has grown back over them.

There's no sign of Gilbert anywhere, and I have no idea where to begin looking. That's when an idea hits me. I focus on my inner energy and use it to heighten my own senses. The world becomes alive with different colored energies as my sixth sense is awakened. I smile when my suspicion is confirmed. The power I got from the Tree of Light is still with me.

I swivel my head to take in all of the energies. Elarium has a lot more energy flowing through it than Oblivion, and a lot more color. The earth and the grass have a shared yet separate energy that overwhelmingly radiates brown and green beneath my feet. The faint wind has its own misty blue energy that feels carefree yet powerful. I search the area around me to any traces of Gilbert's energy.

It's faint, but it's there. I see footsteps leading away from my hut that are tinted the distinct red color of Gilbert's energy. I follow them out of the circle of houses to a lone tree that stands out on the grasslands. From the tree the steps lead away toward a long, blue energy that I assume is some sort of river or stream.

"Gilbert!" I call out as I get closer. I can very clearly see his red energy radiating from him.

"Lizzie?" He turns around to look at me as I approach. "How did you find me?"

"A little trick I picked up in Oblivion," I explain as I turn my sixth sense off. It's a little disorienting to see things in terms of energy.

At the mention of the shadowy netherworld, Gilbert's expression darkens. He turns back toward the stream without another word.

"Gil-"

"No, Lizzie!" Gilbert roars. "Don't try to make me feel better or whatever other crap you have planned!" He turns on me suddenly with a fire in his eyes. "I'm not losing you again!"

I carefully reach out and brush my knuckles against his cheek. "It's okay Gil. It's going to be fine."

He takes my hand in his and holds it against his warm cheek. He turns his face slightly to kiss the back of my hand, and it makes butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"I can't lose you again, Lizzie," he murmurs against my hand. "Not again."

"I know, and I promise I won't go anywhere," I tell him.

Conflict flickers across his eyes at my words. He lowers his hand, but doesn't release his hold on mine. "But you have to go. Elarium needs you."

"Yeah..." My voice trails off. The truth in his words is undeniable.

I slowly sink down to sit on the soft grass. It hasn't really struck me until now that I'm on what is practically a suicide mission. Gilbert sits down beside me with my hand still in his. I pull my knees up to my chest and take my hand back from the Bear.

"Lizzie-"

I tune out his words. I let my head rest on my knees and wrap my arms around them. The weight of Elarium is resting precariously on my shoulders, but I can't hold on much longer.

"I never wanted this," I whisper. "This wasn't my choice."

"Lizzie, I didn't mean-"

"I don't know if I can do this," I say on the brink of a meltdown. "This is too much! I can't Gilbert! I just...I just...I can't! I can't! I can't!"

Gilbert pulls my head up to look into his red eyes. "Calm down, Lizzie!"

Tears start to stream down my face as sobs tear at my throat. My tears roll down onto Gilbert's hands, which are now gently cupping my cheeks. He brushes the stray hair from my face before wiping tears away.

"Look at me, Lizzie."

I do my best to control my crying as I try to focus on Gilbert's face. Unlike his usual confident self, the Bear's face appears hesitant. I would almost say scared. He seems to be inwardly struggling with something.

"I want to tell you-...I just thought-...the truth is-" He can't seem to make up his mind on what to say. "This is so unawesome of me," Gil mumbles. "Look, I'm just going to say it."

He reaches out again to wipe the last tear from my cheek. His hand lingers on my face, and his long fingers leave warm trails behind as he lets his hand drop. Tension fills the air as if the whole world is waiting to hear what Gilbert has to say. He looks me straight in the eyes before speaking, and I know without a shadow of a doubt what he is about to say is true.

"I love you."


	22. Warmth of the Heart

I know.

I know with my mind, my heart, and my very soul that what Gilbert said is true. I can see it in his eyes and the way that he's blushing like crazy as he waits for my reaction. I can see it in the way he sits beside me, completely absorbed in the exchange between us yet alert for anything that might ruin this perfect moment. I can see that he loves me. And I love him.

A small laugh bubbles up from inside of me. Gilbert looks at me with a mixture of confusion and worry. I can't stop myself from laughing some more. This feeling in my heart is something I can't describe, and for one of the very few times in my life, I'm happy.

The albino must think I'm laughing at him because he pulls away slowly. "I'm sorry if that's not what you-"

He stops when he sees me wiping more tears from my eyes as I laugh, my whole body shaking from a mixture of laughing and crying.

"Oh jeez, Lizzie. You don't have to cry," the Bear says in a bit of a panic. "I'm sorry, okay? We can act like this never happened! It was so unawesome of me...Lizzie, I'm sorry!"

"I-I'm not laughing at you," I say through my tears. I move my hands away from my face to smile brightly at him. "I'm so happy the tears won't stop." I laugh shakily as more tears spill onto my cheeks.

Gilbert laughs with me and scoots closer to wipe the newly formed tears from my eyes. "You scared me for a bit there," he tells me softly as he brushes away the last of my tears.

"Why?" I ask him. I know the answer, but I want to hear him say it.

A blush rises to his cheeks again, and he looks down at the ground before answering. "I was afraid I'd scare you away. Then you started laughing and I thought you'd laugh in my face and tell me I'm an idiot."

"You're not an idiot. Well, not most of the time," I joke. He smiles slightly at that, but I can tell he's still tense. "I wouldn't be scared though. I could never be scared of you, Gil."

"Really?" he says with a mischievous glint appearing in his eyes. "What if I do this?"

A growl rises from the Bear's throat, and before I can react, he pounces on me and pins me to the ground. I try to wriggle free, but Gilbert's hands hold my wrists firmly in place. He looms over me with his usual cocky smirk and leans in a little closer.

"Scared yet?" he asks.

"No," I say slightly out of breath. The feeling of Gilbert holding my wrists sends electricity through my body, and I wonder if he can feel it too.

The white haired Bear leans in a little closer. "You should be," he whispers almost seductively.

A shiver runs down my spine at the sound of his husky voice, and my heart noticeably speeds up at his suggestiveness. It's my turn to blush as I prepare myself for what comes next.

"I can't be scared of you...because..." My voice fails me as I try to explain myself.

Gilbert simply raises his eyebrow questioningly. It's the only prompting I need to continue.

"Because...because I love you."

It's as if my heart opens and all the feelings I've been holding inside come rushing out with my confession. Gilbert's beautiful red eyes widen noticeably when he realizes what I just said. Next thing I know, his lips are pressed to mine with such need that it takes my breath away. This is nothing like our kiss in Sylvumbra. This kiss is full of so much emotion that I'm not sure my heart can take it.

Gilbert releases my wrists and gently rolls over so that I'm on top. He wraps his arms around me in a needy, protective way, and one of his hands trail up my back to tangle in my hair. I hold his face to mine with both of my hands, and his skin feels warm and soft under my fingers. Sparks fly between the two of us as our lips move in unison. He even takes things further by swiping his tongue across my lip, and my breath catches in my throat.

We move apart to catch our breaths, but I stay as close to Gilbert as I can. I can feel his heart beating underneath me, and I place my hand over his chest.

"You're so warm," I murmur.

"You're so beautiful."

His comment catches me off guard. My face heats up, and I bury it in Gilbert's chest. No one has ever told me anything like that before.

"Oh Lizzie," Gilbert says with a small laugh. "You don't have to be embarrassed."

I don't respond, which makes Gilbert chuckle again. He lovingly strokes my hair as I try to get my heart under control. Everything about the silver haired Bear seems to send my heart racing.

He gently kisses the top of my head. "Hey, it's okay. What's the matter, Lizzie?"

I slowly lift my head look up at him. "No one has ever said I was pretty before."

A smile tugs at Gilbert's lips. "But I didn't say that."

My brows furrow in confusion. Had I misheard him? That would be so embarrassing I could die.

Just as I'm about to hide my face again, the Bear cups my face with his hands. "I said you were beautiful, Lizzie, not pretty."

I lean forward to capture his lips again with mine. This kiss isn't as intense, but it's much sweeter than any of the others. If thoughts and emotions could be conveyed through physical contact, then we would be having the most wonderful conversation I could possibly imagine. Gilbert pulls back first and plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Tell me about you, Lizzie," he says in a low voice.

"L-like what?" I ask flustered. Other than Kiku and Feli, no one has ever seemed that interested in me personally.

The Bear sits up and shifts me into a comfortable position in his lap. He rests his head on my shoulder and presses his solid chest against my back and wings. His arms snake around my middle and hold me comfortably.

"Tell me things you like, things you don't like. Tell me what it was like growing up as Elizabeta Héderváry."

A small frown forms on my lips as I think about my not so happy childhood. "Why don't you tell me about you first. My story is...really long."

Gilbert must notice my hesitation because he doesn't make a stink about me not answering.

"Hmmmm...things I like..." He thinks for a while as he absentmindedly rubs circles on my leg. "I like awesome things like beer and little yellow birds I see in the forest by my house."

These are the typical kind of answers I expected from him.

"I also like climbing tall trees to watch the sun come up early in the morning. I like running through the woods with West and feeling like I could keep going forever. I like the way you smell, and I especially like you."

I'm surprised by the depth of his answers, and I turn around to look into his bright eyes. He smiles at me and gives me a kiss on the nose.

He continues with his list. "I don't like unawesome things like West when he's a worrywart and I don't know if I really like that Wolf guy, Lovino."

"Oh, don't be mean to him. He's just...rough," I say in the Wolf twin's defense.

"Sure," the Bear says with a roll of his eyes. "I don't like it much when it rains either. I don't like people that are cowards, and I don't like people that pretend to be something they aren't...I guess that makes me a bit of a hypocrite."

"No!" I say quickly. "Not at all."

Gilbert smiles softly at my adamant denial of his self criticism. "Don't worry about me, Lizzie. I know I'm not as awesome as I think I am."

"Well, I think you're awesome," I insist. "That's all that matters." The Bear kisses me, and I smile against his lips. "Tell me about growing up in the forest."

"It was fairly quiet until Ludwig came around," Gil says with a smirk. "He caused a lot of trouble as a kid."

"Really? Ludwig?" I ask in surprise.

"Yeah, he was so shy as a kid that we had a lot of trouble getting him out of the house." The white haired Bear smiles at the memory. "That's when I showed him the forest. We would go out there all the time after school, and he started opening up more. I can still remember the first time he laughed in public. Ma was so happy."

I try to picture big Ludwig as a shy little kid, and it's not that easy. My mind also tries to picture a younger Gilbert coaxing his brother out of the house. I'll bet anything it wasn't the forest that finally got the blonde Bear out into the open.

"It was you," I tell him softly.

"What was?"

"The reason Ludwig opened up," I explain. "I'm sure it was you."

Gilbert's eyes shine, but he doesn't say more on the topic. "Now tell me your story," he says.

"Alright," I agree. "I'll tell you part of it."


	23. Childhood

My first memories aren't of actual things like most people. The first things I can remember are feelings like loneliness and desperation. I can't remember what my parents look like, or if I had any. I can't remember the first time I saw the sky or my favorite kind of flowers. My first memories are of feeling alone.

My clan elders told me that I just appeared in a small village one day with no name and no memories. They couldn't even get me to talk for the first few months. I don't really remember that clearly, but I do remember what happened the first time I talked.

I was staying at the home of a seamstress that had several other children of her own. She and her husband worked during the day and the kids went to school while I was left alone at their house. They came home one day to find the house empty, so they went out to search for me.

The seamstress is the one who ended up finding me. I was in a small patch of grass just outside of town crying my little eyes out, and on the ground in front of me was a dead mouse. She immediately assumed I'm the one who killed it since I had blood on my hands.

"Why did you do this?" she asked me as she grabbed my wrist.

I couldn't answer her. All I could do was cry. She started shaking me to get an answer, but I still couldn't say anything.

"Why? Why?" she practically shrieked in my face. She kept on shaking me until I thought my arm would fall off.

"L-like me," I finally gasped.

She was so surprised to hear me speak that she let go of my wrist. "What?"

I pointed to the dead mouse. "Like me," I repeated.

This scared the seamstress. Scared her more than she already was. She dragged me back to her house and locked me in a closet for a long time.

I didn't kill that mouse like everyone thought. I saw it being attacked by a cat and tried to save it. Some of the blood on my hands was probably my own from the many scratches I had received during the rescue. I felt pretty proud when the cat finally ran away, but then I saw the mouse. It lay in the grass dying despite my best efforts to keep it alive. In the end I didn't make a difference and that's why I cried.

I cried for the mouse, and I cried for me.

That's why I said the mouse was like me. We were both alone with no family to keep us safe when someone tried to pick on us. We had no friends to speak of, and nobody to tell us they love us. We were both scared, and too weak to help ourselves. I wanted to help that mouse, but in the end I couldn't.

The elders came after that and took me away from that village. I kept telling them that I didn't do it, but I could tell by the looks on their faces that they didn't believe me. I ended up going to a bunch of different homes after that, but never for long. Each family would make up an excuse why they couldn't keep me.

I got used to it after a while. Years went by, and I still didn't have a place to call home. I managed to remember how to talk and what my name was, but I still didn't have any friends or family. I would get teased at school for having weird hair, or for not being able to manifest a spirit animal, or for being an orphan. I learned to ignore it, but that didn't mean in hurt any less.

One day, elder Methuselah came to visit me. He told me that my family couldn't afford to take care of me anymore. I knew it was a lie because they had just bought all of the children, except for me, new clothes and shoes for school, but I didn't say anything. I didn't cry or shout how unfair it was. I was too used to being an outcast at this point.

"You are going to be coming with me to the capital city," elder Methuselah had said. "The Council of the Eagle has decided you are old enough to live on your own now."

I hadn't been expecting this. My eyes had widened, and I was told that for the very first time, elder Methuselah saw a sparkle in my eyes.

I can confidently say that living by myself was probably one of the best things that happened to me. I wasn't teased at school for being the charity case that's staying at someone's house. I wasn't treated like garbage when I walked around town anymore. I had finally found somewhere that I wouldn't be hated for being different.

It wasn't easy living by myself, and I didn't make a lot of friends either. I didn't mind though. As long as I was free, I was happy. It almost didn't matter that I was a nobody.

Then one day I made a friend, but not in the normal sense. There were a lot of stray animals in the capital of Eagle Territory, so it wasn't unusual to see cats and dogs roaming the streets. What was unusual was seeing a large group of animals all at once. They usually avoided each other, so I thought it was odd to see a whole bunch of them together.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I went to see what was going on. The circle of cats and dogs were surrounding one small dog with a torn ear. They barked and hissed at the poor thing while ripping out chunks of its long fur with their teeth and claws. I wasn't sure what to do at first, but I knew I had to do something before they killed the whimpering dog.

I took off the cloak I was wearing and started to shoo the animals away. They got scared as soon as they saw me coming at them, which left me alone with the injured dog. I knelt down beside the small thing to see if it was okay.

"Hey, it's going to be fine now," I told the dog. "I'll take care of you."

I carried the little guy to my house all wrapped up in my cloak. I set out some food for him to eat, but he was too wary of me at first to even approach the plate. In the end his his hunger won out, and he became much friendlier. I decided to name him Kip, which the little dog seemed to understand immediately. He was the nicest dog I had ever met. He would walk with me to school, then pick me up again in the evening. We were inseparable.

I could always tell it was him coming up the street because one of his pointy ears would flop ever so slightly as he walked. It had been torn by the circle of animals and had never healed right, but I didn't care. Our scars are what sets us apart, and I loved him for being a survivor like me.

But it didn't last.

One night we were walking home late when a drunk man stumbled into us in the street. He paused to look at me and Kip with blurry eyes.

"Why doncha watch where yer goin', eh?" he said in a loud, slurred voice.

I didn't want any trouble, so I quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry. Please excuse us."

"Whatsa cute lil thang like you doin' out hee aw lone?" I didn't like the looks he was giving me.

"We're on our way home," I answered nervously. Kip started growling as the man took a step forward.

He seemed to notice my dog for the first time. "Whacha got deer? A lil pooch? Ya got a probm wit me, ya dumb mutt?"

Without warning, the man kicked Kip across the street with a drunken laugh. He started to hit my dog with a half full bottle of alcohol. I tried to grab onto his arm, but he threw me to the ground with an angry yell.

"Don' get in da way, gurl, or I'll hit ya next!"

Kip got to his feet in the time it took the drunk man to shout at me, and he bit the man's ankle. The man roared in pain and started to hit my dog some more.

"Please stop!" I shouted as I tried to grab the man's arm again.

"Git offa me!" he yelled as he threw me to the ground once more. "Yer not worth da trouble." He kicked Kip off his leg and stumbled away in the dark.

I quickly got up to check on my dog, but it was already too late.

"C'mon, Kip. It's going to be just fine," I said through my tears. The little dog whined once in my arms before going still. "Please...not again," I whispered to whatever deities were listening, but it was too late.

My little dog was dead, and I couldn't stop it. I was just as useless as that day I couldn't save the mouse. I was weak and pathetic, and I hated myself for it. My life was worthless.


	24. More Love Than One

"That's not true," Gilbert says in my ear. "You're not weak or pathetic, and your life is definitely not worthless. You're one of the most awesome people I know."

"Next to you of course," I tease, but his lips hardly twitch. "I'm glad you don't think I'm worthless. I felt that way for a long time. Probably until I met Kiku, and that wasn't for another year after I lost Kip."

"Tell me about that," the Bear says.

"Maybe some other time," I tell him as I wipe a small tear from my eyes. Thinking about my little dog always makes me emotional. "It's starting to get dark now. We should probably go back."

"I don't wanna," Gilbert whines. He tightens his hold around my waist and buries his head in my hair. "I wanna stay here with you."

I gently pry his arms away from my body and stand up. "Come on," I say, offering him my hands. "We have to go back or your brother is going to be worried."

The white haired Bear uses my hands to stand up, but pulls me closer to him in the process. "I don't care about West. He can worry all he wants," he whispers as his hand leaves a trail of fire down my back.

"You will care when he sees us like this," I manage to say through the haze forming in my mind. It's hard to think with Gilbert this close, and he knows it.

"Fine, fine," he sighs and takes a step back. "But you're going to tell me the rest of your story sometime."

I gently interlock my fingers with his as we start walking back to the small village. "Don't worry. I promise I'll finish it."

We walk for a ways in silence. I enjoy the nature around us more than when I first set out to find Gilbert. The grass sways gently in the breeze and the last of the sunlight slowly disappears over the vast horizon. A few bright stars can already be seen in the east as the sky continues to darken. I can only imagine how beautiful the stars must look in the dead of night when they stretch all the way across the obsidian sky.

My thoughts are interrupted as Gilbert stops under the tree I passed when looking for him. I turn to see what's the matter, but his head is partially obscured by the shadow of the tree.

"Gil?"

"It's not right," he says quietly. "It's not right that people could treat you like that." It becomes apparent then how much my story had bothered the Bear. He looks up at me with piercing eyes. "I wish I could have saved you from that pain."

I let go of Gilbert's big, warm hand, and he looks at me with surprise. I step closer to him and wrap my arms around his broad chest. "Thank you for caring about me," I say softly. "I'm glad you're here now."

Gilbert pulls me in tightly with his arms. One hand brushes against one of my wings as it travels up my back. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" I ask. I pull back enough to look into his face, which has a mixture of different emotions on it.

"How did you become such a good person? Everyone treated you so bad, but you turned out okay," the Bear clarifies.

I smile at him, which only seems to confuse him further. "You'll find out in the second half of the story."

Gilbert sighs. "You're really gonna make me wait? Not awesome."

"Sorry," I say with a shrug. "We need to get back before they send people out to look for us."

"I guess you're right," the Bear grumbles. He grabs my hands and we continue walking toward the Wolf village.

"I'm usually right," I tell him with a hint of smugness in my voice.

"Except for that time we raced and you thought you won," Gilbert retorts.

"I did win!" I insist as I think back to that day.

"How about a rematch?" he asks playfully. I can see the mischief dancing in his red eyes. "First one back to Pratilux wins."

"You're on!" I exclaim as I let go of his hand. "Don't come whining to me she I kick your butt!"

"As if," Gil says with a roll of his eyes. "I don't whine or lose."

"We'll see about that, Mr. Awesome." I crouch down in preparation for take off. "Ready when you are."

"On your mark..." the Bear announces loudly. "Getsetgo!"

He shoots off into the air as soon as he shouts out the last part. I take off a moment later, thrown off by how quickly he shouted everything. Leave it to Gilbert to try to cheat. His white wings stand out even in the dark, and I pump my golden ones in an attempt to make up for lost time. I'm by no means the fastest flyer around, but neither is Gilbert. My eyes water as the wind buffets me in the face and tugs at my long hair. I've caught up to Gil enough that I can almost grab the Bear's ankle if I really want to.

I can see the lights of the village blinking in and out of existence like ethereal fireflies in the distance. There isn't much time left before the race is over, and I really don't plan on losing. I decide to do something a little crazy. Instead of flapping my wings harder to catch up, I fold them back as tightly as I can. I aim myself at an angle and dive toward the small village.

Tears leak from my eyes as I pick up more speed. I don't dare wipe them away because I need to be as streamline as possible to maximize my velocity. I quickly pass Gilbert as I shoot toward the ground. This is actually really risky because there's the chance I won't stop in time, but I need to prove once and for all that I'm the winner.

Everything on the ground seems to be growing at an alarming rate, and I take that as my cue to start slowing down. I spread my arms and legs out to stabilize my fall. Then I gradually extend my wings as well. If I opened them all at once, the wind rushing past me would have ripped them right of of their sockets.

I can feel myself beginning to lose speed, but it isn't enough. My wings flap in a desperate attempt to pull me out of my dizzying descent. I'm still falling too fast. The ground is only a few body lengths away, so I do the only thing I can. I roll as soon as I hit the ground to try to spin most of the momentum off.

I come to a stop several lengths away from where I landed, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My shoulder is really sore, but otherwise I'm in one piece. A laugh escapes my throat as I process what just happened.

"Elizabeta!" Gilbert drops out of the sky and runs to my side. "Are you okay?"

"I won!" I shout at him from the ground. "I told you! I'm the winner!"

The white haired Bear looks at me with shock at first. Then a smile slowly spreads across his face as he shakes his head. "You crazy, crazy girl. You had me scared, you know that? So unawesome."

"But that's why you love me," I joke.

"Ughhhhh! Gross! Get a room!"

The two of us jump in surprise as Lovino walks over to us. He gives us a rather snooty look that has faint traces of amusement in it at the same time. I get to my feet hastily, which jars my shoulder enough to make me suck in a breath. Gilbert notices but doesn't say anything.

"So, looks like everything worked out between you two," the Wolf says with a smirk.

"Yeah, I guess so," I respond.

"The tall bastard wanted me to go looking for you two idiots, but it looks like I don't have to anymore." Lovino turns to walk away. "Your hut is still open if you're tired. That is unless you two have other ideas..."

My face reddens at what he's implying, and I feel Gilbert tense next to me. He takes off after the elder Wolf twin, who is already running.

"What's that supposed to mean, you little punk? Just wait until the awesome me gets my hands on you!" the Bear shouts.

"Oooooo! I'm so scared!" Lovino shouts back. "You gotta catch me first, lover boy!"

"You little-!"

I shake my head as I start to walk toward my hut. Those two will never get along it seems. Not with their constant teasing and short tempers. I walk between the houses that look like they've grown right out of the grown. Eerie shadows loom behind each one, which makes me a little paranoid. There's no way Kirkland would show up here, is there?

I don't have time to dwell on that thought any longer because my small hut comes into view. A figure is sitting by the door, and I soon recognize it at Kiku.

"Elizabeta!" he says happily when he sees me. "Did you find him?"

"Yup!" I tell him just as cheerfully. "Everything went just fine."

"Then where is he?"

"Oh, just chasing Lovino around the village," I say nonchalantly, as if it is a regular occurrence.

"Ahhhhh. That explains the shouting," the dark haired Eagle says.

I look at my friend with a smile. Without saying anything, I give him a hug. He gladly returns, even though he's taken by surprise.

"Thank you for staying by my side," I whisper. Telling Gilbert my story made me remember what a blessing Kiku is in my life, and gratitude fills my heart with warmth.

"You're very welcome, Elizabeta," he replies. "Don't forget that you mean a lot to me too."

My smile widens at his words. It's like he read my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if he did because he's very perceptive like that. I release the Eagle from my embrace as a big yawn escapes my mouth.

"Time for bed," I murmur. It's been a busy day, even though I only woke up a few hours ago.

"I guess I'll bid you goodnight," Kiku says as he turns toward some other buildings. "Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Kiku," I say as he walks away.

His black hair and wings makes it seem as if he disappears into the darkness. I shudder slightly at the thought. I just need to keep reminding myself that not every shadow is going to produce a bloodthirsty creature, and hopefully I'll stop flinching at every one I see. My heart pounds heavily when I picture the fading inhabitants of Oblivion, but I chase the image away with one of my somewhat dysfunctional family.

I swing the door to my hut open to see Feli asleep on my bed. The blankets have been strewn around into a messy heap, leaving the Wolf mostly uncovered. I smile softly at his snoring form before covering him back up. This is where I belong now, and nothing can take that away from me. Not even the shadows.


	25. Panic

We leave Pratilux a few days later. The people are sad to see us leave, but wish us luck on our journey. Several spirit animals follow us for a while, but they eventually go back to the village. Things finally seem to have gone back to normal.

Our spirit animals walk with us as we head toward the heart of Wolf Territory. The two wolves, Italy and Romano, prance around in the tall grass, enjoying being back in their homeland. Hungary and Kiku's partner, Japan, fly above us and keep an eye out for anything that looks like trouble. It's been peaceful so far, so I'm not too worried. Germany and Prussia, the two bears, pad heavily beside me as I walk through the waist high grass.

The white bear, Prussia, keeps sniffing at me playfully, and I shoot him fake annoyed looks. The other bear rolls his eyes at our banter. He picks up his pace to walk by Ludwig, who is leading our group. I snicker softly. It's funny how alike those two are.

"So, what's the Wolf Temple like?" I ask Feli. The younger Wolf twin grins at me as he hops around with his spirit animal.

"I've only been there once, but it was really pretty," he tells me. "It's built out of the only hill in all of Wolf Territory."

"There's only one hill? Are you serious?" I ask a little skeptically. "There's gotta be more than that."

"Nope! Just one!" Feli answers. "Legend says the Wolf Mother made the hill just for the Temple. Before that there were no hills at all."

"Wow," I say. It's hard for me to imagine the entire Territory is flat. Eagle Territory is full of hills and the Bear Territory has whole mountain ranges on it.

"Yup! That's why it's hard to spot the rivers from a distance," the Wolf explains. "Sometimes you don't see them until it's too late!"

Suddenly, a panicked scream breaks the still of the air. It's coming from the front of the group, and I can't help but think it sounds like Gilbert. Feli and I run to where the yelling is coming from. As we get closer, the sound of splashing can also be heard. That can only mean one thing.

"My idiot brother fell in the river," Ludwig says to us with one hand rubbing his temple.

"Serves him right for not watching where he was going," Lovino grumbles from next to the Bear.

A rather large river stretches out in front of us, and true to Feli's words, it would have been almost impossible to see unless it was already too late. Gilbert is floundering around in the middle of the river with a very unhappy look on his face.

"It's freezing cold!" he shouts. "Stop laughing at me and help me out!"

"Why can't you get out yourself?" I ask him through giggles. Feli and I are the only ones who seem to find this situation humorous.

"Fine! But then I'm going to throw you in!"

I run away squealing when the white haired Bear emerges from the river dripping wet. He shakes himself off like a wet dog, which gets Ludwig and Lovino wet too. The two complain loudly at the laughing Gilbert, who doesn't see the large, light gold bear approaching him. Germany uses his forepaws to push the Bear back into the river, then nods once at Ludwig before disappearing. The other animals also disappear to avoid any trouble that could yet come.

"Not...cool..." Gilbert pants as he drags himself out of the river for a second time.

"That's what you get for being a brat," Ludwig says matter of factly. "Well, since we're already wet we may as well enjoy it." He starts to strip off his shirt, and the others take it as a cue to do the same.

"W-what's going on?" I call from my hiding spot, far, far away from the river.

"We're going swimming, idiot! What does it look like?" Lovino shouts back. I look away as he takes off his trousers, leaving him in just a thin pair of undershorts.

Feli and Kiku also begin to strip down for a swim. They both look excited to do something other than trudge through grass. I approach the river cautiously, but refuse to get too close. The sounds of splashing and laughter reach my ears, but instead of getting excited, I fight the urge to turn back to my hiding nook.

"Come one, Liza!" Feli shouts. "It's a lot of fun!"

"I-I'll just watch from here," I tell him. I try hard to keep my voice from wavering, but I can still hear how nervous I sound.

I take a deep breath and scoot closer to the edge of the river. Sitting next to it won't hurt, right? The others in my group splash around loudly in the cool water. I watch the two sets of brothers chicken fight while Kiku referees. It looks like a lot of fun, and I can't help but wonder if there wouldn't be any harm in getting just a little wet.

Hesitantly, I roll up my pant legs and take off my shoes to slowly dip my feet into the water. It's so cold that a slight shiver goes up my spine, but it's refreshing at the same time. I start to relax a little bit and slide more of my legs into the water. The current isn't even that strong, so I kick my legs and watch the bubbles swirl underwater from my movement. A few small fish dart away from my legs, no doubt frightened by my sudden appearance.

That's when I feel something cold grab onto my leg. I scream and try to scramble away from the edge of the river, but whatever clamped onto my leg won't let go. Desperation and fear claw at my heart as I'm pulled closer to the water, little by little. I pull and kick as hard as I can with both legs, but to no avail.

My mind floods with scenario after scenario of me falling into the cold, unforgiving water. I can almost feel it rushing into my mouth and filling my lungs until I can't breathe. Part of the feeling is produced by my imagination, and the other part is a horrible, vivid memory. With a final scream I wrench my leg away from whatever was pulling me toward the river.

I jump to my feet and run as far away from the water as I can. I keep running until my sobs make it hard to breathe. I don't remember ever starting to cry, but I don't try to stop the tears. It seems like all I've been doing lately is crying. Slowly, I drop to the ground and focus on breathing. The water is a long ways behind me, so I have nothing to fear. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Something wet touches my shoulder and I flinch from it in surprise. I look up to see a concerned looking Gilbert standing over me. He sits down on the ground next to me in one fluid movement before reaching out to wipe away my tears.

"What's wrong, Lizzie?" the Bear asks. "It was just Lovino. He being a loser and trying to prank you."

"Who was being a loser?" Lovino growls from behind us.

We turn around to see the Wolf standing awkwardly with his arms folded across his bare chest. He shifts his weight uncomfortably and refuses to look at me.

"What are you doing here? Don't you think you've done enough?" Gilbert growls with a hint of a threat in his voice.

"You don't have to act like a bastard! I just came to apologize!" Lovino shouts. He looks up at us for the first time, then looks away again. "That Eagle kid told us how afraid you are of water after you took off."

"You're afraid of water?" The white haired Bear looks at me with surprise.

"Yeah," I whisper with a slight nod.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know," Lovino grumbles.

"What kind of apology is that?" Gil challenges.

I put my hand up to keep the Bear from doing anything dumb. "It's okay. You didn't know," I tell the moody Wolf. "Let's just not do that again."

"Yeah, sure," Lovino says with the hint of a smile. "I'll just leave you two alone then." The usual snobbiness has returned to his voice. He turns and walks back toward the others at the river.

"You really are afraid of water?" Gilbert asks again, as if he didn't believe me the first time.

"Yes. I fell into a lake once when Kiku and I were living on our own. I didn't know how to swim, so I just kept sinking until Kiku pulled me out. Haven't spent time near any kind of water since."

"Until today," the Bear says.

"Until today," I repeat.

We sit in silence for a while as the world moves on, unaware of what had just taken place. I feel Gilbert slip his hand into mine, and I give it a gentle squeeze. That's when I notice for the first time what he's wearing.

"Gil!" I yell. "You're not wearing anything!"

"Yes I am," he says. He points to the shorts he wears under his pants.

"That hardly counts," I tell him while keeping my eyes up. The situation gets more awkward as he scoots closer to me. I quickly cover my face with my hands to hide my embarrassment.

"Aww, don't be that way, Lizzie." Gilbert places light kisses on each of my fingers. "I'm going to have to get rough if you don't come out."

I spring up with my face still covered and start walking away from the white haired Bear. "We need to get back!" I shout back to him. "I'll bet your clothes are dry by now!"

"Humph, ruining all the fun," he says in my ear.

I can hear him start running, and I uncover my eyes so I won't trip. I also start running, and I make it back to the group a little after Gil. Everyone else is fully clothed and ready to move on. We have to wait a few moments for the elder Bear to finish changing, but we're soon on our way.

A few downward thrusts of each of our wings gets us across the river, and I feel much better after leaving it behind. We continue on our way, but the fun atmosphere from frolicking in the river has been dampened by my little outburst. I feel a little guilty, but there's not much I can do about it now. We keep walking until Ludwig puts his hand up for us to halt.

"Do you feel that?" he asks us.

"Feel what?" Kiku asks him.

"Exactly," Lovino says loudly enough for all of us to hear. "The wind has stopped."

"The wind almost never stops," Feli says nervously. "Something's not right."

I start to get a really bad feeling about what's coming. That's when I hear a clapping coming from my left and my heart begins to pound in my chest. We all turn to see where the sound is coming from, and my suspicions are confirmed.

"How very observant of you," Kirkland says with a wicked looking grin. "Too bad you didn't see this coming."


	26. Desperate Times

The shadowy man takes a few steps toward us, and we all back away warily. There's no telling what he could be up to. Kirkland feigns shock and hurt at our actions before cackling darkly.

"What? You don't trust me?" he asks in a playful voice. "Good. You shouldn't." The shadow handler's eyes flicker over to me, and his smile widens. "Ah, my dear Elizabeta. It's been a while, hasn't it, love?"

Gilbert and I both tense at Kirkland's words. He talks pretty big for someone facing off against six of us, and that can't be a good sign. The shadow handler runs his hands through his messy hair before letting his eyes lazily wander over my family. They linger on the Wolf twins longer than I'm comfortable with, and I prepare to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Whatever would you need that for?" Kirkland asks as I pull my spear off my pack. "Don't be too hasty, love. We'll get to that soon enough."

Everyone else draws their weapons in preparation for a fight. There's no doubt the shadow handler didn't come alone, especially after what he just said. A nervous tension fills the air as each side sizes up the other. Even the grassland around us seems to hold its breath in anticipation.

"It would appear that this is the first time I've had the privilege of seeing all of you at once," the shadow man says with a cocky smirk. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kirkland, and I will be taking over your pathetic world very soon."

"We know who you are," Gilbert spits with spiteful vehemence. If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounded more like hate.

"Well, that makes things easy, doesn't it?"

I silently extend my spear to full length at the same time Kirkland raises his arms. His black cloak flaps around him, disturbed by the dark energy collecting around his shadow like body.

"I have some new friends I'd like you to meet," he says with a snarl.

Nonsense words flow out of his mouth, and the shadows in the grass writhe and grow in response. A shape starts to grow out of the mass of shadow, and it continues to expand at an alarming rate. My eyes widen at the vast size of the two large shadow creatures forming in front of us. This is not going to be an easy fight.

"Heh hehehehehe!" Kirkland laughs. "The fear in your eyes is priceless," he growls. His eyes glow, which adds to his air of insanity.

The shadows finish forming into creatures that would be best described as trolls. Very ugly, very big, very deadly looking trolls. They stare at us with beady red eyes, and one opens a flabby jaw to reveal blunt, peg like teeth. The other roars at us before charging.

"Defensive maneuvers!" Ludwig shouts as he snaps open his speckled yellow wings. The others follow suit and take to the air.

I stay on the ground and wait for the other shadow troll to make a move. Gilbert stands by my side with his two axes. The hair on the back of my neck stand up as he leans closer to me, an intense electricity flowing between us.

"I got your back," he says just loudly enough for me to hear over the bellowing of a troll.

The one that charged is currently trying to swat my other four companions out of the sky with a thickly jointed hand. My friends stay just out of its reach and try to attack when they find an opening. It doesn't seem to be affecting the troll much because it ignores the small cuts and scratches accumulating on its head, neck, and arms.

"The skin is too thick!" Lovino shouts in frustration. He has his sword drawn and is darting through the air at a dizzying speed. "We need a new strategy!"

"Find a weakness!" Ludwig roars to the others.

Kirkland cackles at their feeble attempts. "Try all you like. You'll never win." He turns to look at the other troll. "You! What are you doing? Get them!"

The troll closest to me finally seems to notice the two of us standing there. It lets out a deep growl and slowly lumbers toward us. I prepare to take off into the air, but the shadow creature doesn't show any signs of speeding up. I'm starting to think it's not very bright.

"Gil, get up in the air and fly around its head," I say to the Bear.

He nods once before taking to the air. The troll immediately switches it's attention from me to Gilbert. It tries to swat the white haired Bear out of the sky, but it's obvious the creature is far too slow to land a hit. I take the opportunity to charge at the troll's leathery legs and make a few clean slashes by its knees. One of the cuts must have severed something because the large shadow falls heavily to one knee.

An ear splitting roar fills the air as the troll announces to the world how much pain it's in. Gilbert uses the opening to hack at the back of its neck. The slices break the skin, but doesn't seem to do much harm otherwise. It does, however, remind the creature of the flying Bear, and it flails its arms with a newfound fervor. Gil doesn't have a chance to attack again as he evades the troll's swinging arms.

I decide to try for another attack from the ground, but the shadow creature is expecting it this time. It flings its arm out at me carelessly, but it's enough to send me flying backward a few body lengths. The air is forced from my lungs when I hit the ground with a dull thud. Nothing seems to be broken, so I force myself to get up, even before I can start breathing again.

A quick glance at the other members of my group reveals that they're not having much luck either. Several arrows stick out from their troll's body, and it seems to be dripping some kind of dark liquid from different cuts covering its skin. The oozing liquid resembles tar more than blood, and I imagine it's what liquified shadows would be like.

I don't have time to linger on the other battle since my troll seems to have made it it's goal to finish me off. It drags itself across the ground toward me, ripping up grass and huge chunks of dirt as it does. Gilbert tries desperately to divert the mammoth creature's attention, but with no luck. It just brushes the Bear aside with a thick hand, and I watch him fall out of the sky with a sickening twist in my stomach. At the same time, Feli gets knocked out of the air too, and the awful feeling intensifies.

The troll is almost on top of me before I can manage to stumble away from it on my shaky feet. My tumble to the ground must have effected me more than I though, and I find it difficult to stay upright. Just as the shadow is about to hit me with its large fist, a pain filled wail fills the air. I look over to see the other troll with an arrow sticking out of its face where an eye should be. It claws at its injured eye with its stubby fingers, which only embeds the arrow deeper.

A pathetic mewling sound comes from the creature as it falls to its knees. I watch Kiku take aim and sink two more arrows into it's other eye, one after another. Despite the fact I originally thought it to be dumb, my troll seems to realize what is going on and bellows loudly. The other troll has now stopped making sounds and drops to the ground dead.

"The eyes are the weakness!" Kiku yells. He loads another arrow into his bow and points it toward the last troll.

"Everyone concentrate on the eyes!" Ludwig shouts. He must have been knocked out of the sky when I wasn't looking because he's slowly getting to his feet as he shouts. He looks a bit bloody and bruised, but still in one piece.

"You think you can win?" Kirkland screams from the spot he's been occupying this whole time. I almost forgot he was here. "Let's see you beat this!"

The grass by his feet ripple as more shadow creatures emerge. These aren't anything new, just Crawlers with razor sharp teeth, but the sheer number of them make the creatures a formidable enemy. I do a quick head count to make sure everyone is alright, or at least in good enough shape to fight. My heart clenches in panic as I only count five, but Gilbert's white head soon appears and puts my mind to rest. At least for a moment.

The Crawlers begin to swarm toward us, and their presence seems to encourage the already aggravated troll to begin fighting once more. The death of its comrade seems to have sparked some kind of drive to kill, and we're it's main target. Kiku lets his arrow fly and it hits its mark dead on. Unfortunately, it doesn't even faze the gigantic shadow.

"We need to regroup!" Ludwig roars over the hissing and chittering of the Crawlers. He pauses to concentrate, and soon he begins to emit a blue energy as he taps into his blessing from the Bear Mother.

"Good idea, West!" Gilbert says as he does the same. A red energy surrounds him and seems to revitalize him from the hit he took earlier. "Let's do this thing!"

"Kiku! Hit it again!" the blonde Bear instructs before being attacked by Crawlers.

"I'm out of arrows!" Kiku calls back. He lands on the ground and stows his bow so he can draw his shining katana.

"What's the plan?" Lovino shouts over the commotion as he does his best to fend off blows from shadow creatures. He and his brother stand back to back for support, but it's obvious they're running out of steam.

"Lizzie! Got any tricks up your sleeve you haven't told us about?" Gilbert asks me.

I duck and block attacks that come at such a fast rate that I can't answer the Bear at first. "No! Not really!"

We fight bravely for a while, but we'll never keep up at this rate. Every time I kill a Crawler, two more take its place. On top of that, the troll is smashing anything it can get its hands on, including other shadow creatures. The landscape around me is a sea of black faces, countless bodies, flashing teeth, and red eyes. I quickly catch a glimpse of the Wolf twins being forced to the ground before more Crawlers hide them from view.

"Feli! Lovino!" I shout, but there is no answer. Just more hissing and twittering.

I clear a circle for myself with a deft swing of my spear and take off into the air. Frantically, I search for any signs of my family members. Faint traces of Gilbert and Ludwig's energies glow like beacons in the mass of shadows, and I can distinctly see the flashing of Kiku's deadly weapon as he slices creatures in half. The Wolves are nowhere in sight. I close my eyes and allow my sixth sense to take over, hoping I'll be able to find them this way. When I open my eyes, I spot two green energies struggling underneath a pile of dark energy.

A sigh of relief escapes me at the knowledge that the twins are still fighting. That's when an immense energy draws my attention away from the battle. It's Kirkland. His energy seems to have doubled since the last time I saw him in Oblivion. How is that possible? It swirls around him like an ominous cloud, and almost forms the outline of some horrible looking beast. What in the world is that?

My moment of distraction leaves me wide open, and I'm easy picking for the one enemy I forgot all about. It doesn't occur to me that I should be wary of the angry troll until I'm hurtling toward the ground head first. I manage to maneuver myself so that I land on my pack and roll a good distance before coming to a stop. Everything is sore as I try and fail to get up.

Luckily, I've been thrown out of the circle of Crawlers, which gives me time to recover from my most recent, and painful, fall yet. My pack was unlatched upon impact, and a bunch of random things lay scattered on the ground around me. I force myself to crawl across the ground to retrieve said pack, which was also wrenched off my back because of the fall.

I decide it's not worth spending time to pick up the dropped items, and search frantically for my spear. Without it, all I have left are a silver dagger and some throwing knives. I find the ancient weapon under my open bag, and am slightly annoyed to see it has reverted back to its shortened form. As I snatch it up, something else catches my eye.

The wooden pipes.

I pick them up carefully and examine them. They look undamaged and as smooth as ever. I debate whether I should use them or not. I'd hate to waste them on a battle like this, but I'm running out of options. A few Crawlers seem to have finally noticed me, and are now coming my way with their powerful jaws snapping. I'm definitely out of options.

I put the pipes up to my lips and blow once. A low, melancholy sound pierces the air as if it were one of Kiku's arrows. I blow another note, this one much higher, like the trill of a bird. The Crawlers look intrigued by the sounds I'm making and quicken their pace. I blow the final note and it sails across the battlefield like a warm summer breeze. I wait for something to happen, but nothing does.

"How touching. You're playing a tragic song for your own funeral," Kirkland says from behind me. I whirl around to face him, and his maniacal grin widens. "What was that, love? Surely, you're not giving up yet?" Crawlers form a circle around the two of us, waiting for the signal to attack.

I'm about to make some smart aleck response when I feel the pipes warm up in my hands. The scent of the forest surrounds me, and hope blossoms in my chest. A faint thudding can be heard in the distance, but I do my best to distract Kirkland from it.

"I wouldn't give up to someone like you," I tell the shadow handler smugly. "This is a gift from a forest god. I'm using it to take down your little army."

"Likely story!" he snorts. "You need to get better at telling fibs, love."

"Oh, I'm telling the truth," I say as the ground begins to shake.

"W-what's going on?" Kirkland sputters. "What did you do?"

"I told you. I called for some back up."

Just as the words leave my lips, three large stags charge through the Crawlers and impale the creatures with their sharp antlers. When I say big, I mean these animals are large enough for three of us to sit on them comfortably with room to spare. The stags continue to plow through the sea of shadows as the Crawlers try desperately to get away.

They hiss and shriek as they try to crawl over each other, but it only causes them to trip and fall over one another. This leaves them vulnerable to the stags' piercing antlers, and soon nothing remains except for a fine layer of gray dust. The three majestic animals converge on the troll, which has worn itself out so much that it just stares at the stags. It seems to know that the end has come because it doesn't even resist the antlers shredding its body. Eventually, the troll also disappears in a poof of dust.

"Nooooo!" Kirkland shrieks. "What kind of magic is this?"

"I told you," I say wearily. "Gift from a forest god."

"You may have been lucky this time, but next time, there will be no mercy." The self proclaimed Lord of Oblivion sinks into the shadow of the grass and disappears.

I look back toward the battlefield to find the three stags are standing in front of me. They bend their necks to look me straight in the eyes. I don't hear any voices, but I definitely get the same kind of vibe from them as I got from Kor.

"Thank you," I whisper to them.

They each dip their head in turn, then gracefully leap toward the west and their home. The wooden pipes still clutched in my hands dissolve into a fine gold powder, which blows away on the breeze that has finally returned. It erases all signs that the shadows were even here as the grass begins to sway once more. The only proof any of this even happened are the bruises all over my body.

I quickly gather all of my spilt gear before finding the rest of my group. Ludwig and Gilbert look thoroughly exhausted from using up so much energy, and Kiku looks like he's seen a ghost. The only ones not accounted for are the Vargas brothers, and they're the ones I'm worried about most.

"Where are Feli and Lovino?" I ask anyone that's listening.

"I last saw them over there," Kiku informs me as he points to an area a good distance away from our group.

I jog to the spot the Eagle pointed to and call their names. "Feli! Lovino! Where are you guys?"

"Down...here..."

I turn around to see Feli struggling to sit up. Fear clutches my heart as I imagine the worst possible scenario. "Feli! Feli, are you okay?" I crouch down next to the beat up Wolf and carefully help him up.

"Yeah, I'm just a little sore. I did pretty good though, huh?" he asks with a tired smile.

"Yeah, you did good, Feli," I tell him with a soft smile of my own. "Where's your brother?"

"I'm right...here..."

We turn to see Lovino slowly limping toward us. He looks like he's in a lot of pain and is clutching his left arm gingerly. I hear a sharp intake of breath when he wobbles slightly, which must have jostled his injured arm.

"Are you okay?" I stand up to offer him my help, but the stubborn Wolf pushes past me with his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he says through grit teeth. "I just...gotta make sure...this idiot...is okay."

He looks as if he's about to join Feli on the ground, but instead his hazel eyes roll to the back of his head and he collapses in a ragged heap.


	27. The Power of All

"Lovino!" Feli and I shout at the same time.

The elder Wolf doesn't respond to our alarmed call. He clenches his teeth in pain, but is oblivious to what's going on around him. Feli hesitantly reaches out to shake his brother gently, and I kneel down trying hard not to panic. Lovino's breathing is labored and a clammy sweat covers his unusually pale skin.

"W-what's wrong with h-him, Liz-za?" Feli asks me with fear filled eyes.

"I-I-I... I don't know," I stammer. My eyes focus on the arm Lovino is clutching so tightly that his knuckles are white. "There's something wrong with his arm."

Feli starts to reach for the injured limb, but he pulls his hand away before he even touches his brother's shirt sleeve. "I can't..." he whispers. By now the others are gathered around us.

I gently place a hand on the younger Wolf's shoulder. "It's okay, Feli. I'll do it."

Steeling my nerves, I take a shaky breath and begin to roll up Lovino's sleeve. The fabric is soaked in blood in some parts and sticks to his skin, unwilling to come off without some encouragement. Once the sleeve is rolled back it becomes apparent what's wrong.

"Oh man," Gilbert breathes when he sees the gash running up the Wolf's arm.

"L-Lovi," Feli whimpers with tears in his eyes. "Why? Why did you do this for me?"

"What do you mean?" I ask him as gently as possible.

"I saw h-him get hit," Feli explains. "He d-didn't even flinch, s-so I didn't t-think there w-was anything wrong. Lovi..." The Wolf's voice breaks and he begins to sob.

Kiku crouches down next to Feli and places a comforting hand on his back. "There's no need to cry, Feliciano. Elizabeta can heal your brother. Right?" The dark haired Eagle looks at me, and I nod once in affirmation.

Lovino is still unresponsive as I place my hands just above the cut on his arm. My hands tremble, but I try to steady them for Feli's sake. Everyone has their eyes on me now, which only makes my anxiety worse. I haven't done this often enough to be certain that I'll be able to heal an injury like this. I wasn't able to heal myself in Oblivion after all. There might be limits to this power I don't understand.

I look at the abnormal gash on the Wolf's arm again before tapping into my energy. The wound appears to be unusual in color, as if the area around it has been tainted with a gray color. A warm, golden glow surrounds my hand and Lovino's arm as my energy attempts to repair his injured limb.

The Wolf's muscle and skin begin to knit themselves back together, but at a rate so slow that I'm starting to suspect something is wrong. I pour more energy into my healing efforts, but the wound refuses to heal completely. It's as if it's resisting my energy. My arms are soon shaking from the strain of channeling so much energy, and I'm forced to stop before I use up all of my strength.

"It's...not working," I say between breaths. "It won't heal."

"How is that possible?" Ludwig asks me.

"I...I don't know," I admit. "There are...limitations to my power."

"Limitations?" Kiku repeats.

"Yeah. I can't heal myself. Tried and failed in Oblivion."

"But you could heal his arm," Gilbert says pointing to Feli. "Why is this any different?"

"I don't know!" I say despairingly. "I don't understand any of this! I'm all out of energy and I don't know what I'm doing!"

A gentle hand on my shoulder keeps me from breaking down into a complete panic attack. I turn around to see Ludwig looking at me intently, and his hand unconsciously tenses on my shoulder.

"Can you use my energy?"

"W-what?" I wasn't expecting him to say something like that. Telling me it's going to be okay, maybe, but not this.

"Is it possible?" Ludwig asks again. "Can you use my energy?"

"I...I don't know. I've never tried," I admit. "But I'll try anything right about now."

"Let's do it," Gilbert says in one of the most serious tones I've ever heard him use. He places his hand on my other shoulder.

"Guys..." I whisper as tears prick at my eyes.

I refuse to cry despite the seriousness of the situation because it would only make Feli panic more, so I quickly swipe a hand across my eyes. A quivering smile tugs at my lips as I look at both Bears. After all the awful things Lovino has said to and about them, they still want to help him. I'm especially surprised that Gilbert is so willing to help since he seems to dislike the Wolf more than anyone.

A soft hiccuping draws my attention to the injured Wolf's brother, who is still trying to stop the tears falling from his amber eyes. It's because of him. I look around at the others, and a new realization comes to my mind. Everyone wants to save Lovino because of Feli. He's the glue that holds our little ragtag group together. The Bears are the pillars holding us up with their strength, Kiku and Lovino are the voices of reason, and Feli is what brings us all together.

"Kiku, I need your help," I say quietly. The Eagle looks up from the crying Wolf to meet my eyes. "I need your energy, and Feli's too."

Kiku nods in understanding. He coaxes Feli to his feet and helps him move closer to me before sitting back down. I hold out my hand, which Feli gently places his hand into. Kiku replaces his hand on the Wolf's shoulder in a continued attempt to comfort him.

"I'm going to try to heal Lovino again, but I need your help," I tell Feli softly as I brush away his tears. "Do you think you can do that?"

The Wolf blinks at me a few times, but eventually nods. "Y-yes, I think s-so."

I turn to look at my other companions one by one. "I'm going to try to channel your energy. I don't know if this will work, but I'll do my best."

"We have faith in you, Elizabeta," Kiku assures me.

"Yeah. If anyone can do this, it's you," Gilbert says with a big, toothy grin.

I nod and turn back to the suffering Wolf. "Okay, here I go."

I allow myself to relax as I extend my free hand over the wound on Lovino's arm. The confidence of my friends has stopped my shaking, and I close my eyes to gather my little remaining energy. Like a lens slipping over my eyes, the world of energy comes into focus when I open my eyes.

From here I'm at a loss at what to do. I can see the energy, but now what? On a whim, I allow a small trail of my golden energy to merge with Gilbert's, and he gasps at the contact.

"What the heck?" he exclaims in surprise.

I then let my energy merge with Ludwig's, and he tenses almost imperceptibly. The only ones left are Kiku and Feli. I branch out my energy to Feli, and through him to the dark haired Eagle. It's the weirdest feeling I've ever had. I can feel their presence behind and beside me, but I can also feel their presence inside me as my energy draws theirs in.

This sensation is rather intimate, but I ignore that as I move along with my task. I channel our combined energy to my hand, and a large, intense glow surrounds Lovino's injury. His face relaxes fractionally as I concentrate on closing the gash. This time the skin and muscle are more willing to rejoin, but there is still some resistance to keep them from closing completely.

I pour more energy into my attempt to heal, which causes gasps from behind me. The two Bears are forced to their knees as their strength leaves them, but no one tells me to stop. I can feel dark energy coming from Lovino's arm fighting against our energy, and I press against it a little harder. It's clear now that this is worse than I originally thought.

"C'mon...c'mon," I murmur through grit teeth. I'm starting to feel the strain bearing down on me like a mountain on my shaking form.

Something softly brushes against my leg, and my gaze dips down to see what it is. Lovino has moved his hand toward me. I look up to see the Wolf's hazel eyes are open just a crack.

"Use...mine..." he struggles to get out.

I immediately understand what he means. Wordlessly, I nod to him and reach out to his energy with my own through his fingers grazing my leg. I can sense a conflict within his body as his energy fights the dark energy of the wound, so I use only a fraction of the Wolf's energy. It still makes a world of a difference.

With the additional energy I'm able to suppress the dark energy enough to close the gash. As soon as the cut is closed, I release my hold on everyone's energy, and they all fall back with a sharp intake of breath. My trembling has returned, but this time it's from exhaustion and not nerves.

"Everyone...alright?" I ask through heavy breaths.

"Yeah," Gilbert grunts. "For the most part."

"How is Lovi? Is he okay?" Feli scrambles to his knees to look at his brother. "Oh good," he says with a smile when he sees the wound is closed.

"You did it, Elizabeta," Kiku says excitedly. Or as excitedly as he can through his fatigue.

"Yeah, but I'm still worried about this," I say pointing to gray discoloring on Lovino's skin.

Feli shakes his unconscious brother. "Wake up, Lovi. Hey, wake up." The elder Wolf doesn't respond at all. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's a shadow wound," I tell everyone. "I suspected it from the start, but this confirms it. He's been infected by the shadows."

"What does that mean?" Ludwig asks.

"I'm not sure, but we don't have much time."

We've been running nonstop for the last two days. Gilbert and Ludwig have taken turns carrying the incapacitated Wolf as we continue for the Temple. We don't have any solid proof that getting Lovino to the Wolf Temple will help him, but it's the only plan we have.

Rain beats down on us mercilessly as we run further into Wolf Territory. We must be getting close by now, but it can't be close enough for me. I've never felt so tired in my entire life. We only stopped once, and only long enough to sleep for a few hours before moving on toward the Temple. Feli keeps insisting we're getting close, but I'm starting to get worried.

"We're almost there!" the Wolf calls out once again. I can't even keep track of how many times it's been now.

"I swear, if he says that one more time..." Gilbert growls beside me. He currently has Feli's brother on his back and looks ready to collapse.

Lightning flashes in the distance, and I see something I haven't seen since we stepped foot in Wolf Territory. A hill. It looms in the distance, and I feel the budding of hope in my chest. Maybe we can make it after all. I look over at Lovino, who's face occasionally scrunches up in pain. The taint of shadow on his arm has spread up to his chest and can be seen beginning to creep up his neck. I hate to think what would happen if he were to be completely infected.

"We're here!" Feli shouts and puts on an extra burst of speed. It's hard to see him through the rain, but I push myself to run faster too.

I can faintly hear Gilbert keeping up with me, even with his heavy load, and I can see the other members of our group whenever lightning illuminates the dark sky. Each flash reveals the hill getting closer and closer. We've almost made it. A bolt of lightning suddenly strikes the ground behind us and the boom is immediate and deafening.

My stride falters slightly at the intensity of the storm. What are the chances the lightning would strike so close to us? Just as the thought pops into my mind, another bolt hits the ground next to me. I cover my ears as I am thrown to the ground by the force of the impact. My ears ring and spots fill my vision. Despite the cold rain pelting onto my skin, the air around me feels boiling hot from the lightning.

I stumble to my feet to continue toward the Temple. This storm is definitely not normal. One lightning strike is a coincidence, but two is not an accident. If my ears weren't ringing so badly I would swear I can hear a cackling coming from the clouds above my head.

The hill is so close that it fills almost my entire vision. I run toward it as if my life depends on it, which it almost does. Lighting hits the ground again, but far enough away that I can keep running unhindered. The others are already inside and are urging me to hurry. I push myself as fast as my legs will carry me and my hair streams out behind me in a wet, tangled mess.

I can see Gilbert mouthing something to me, but the howling wind tears his words away before they reach my ears. At the same time the clouds above me light up as electricity gathers in a way that can not be natural. My eyes widen at the sight. I'm right in the line of fire, and there's nothing I can do. I close my eyes in preparation for the lightning to reduce me to a smoldering pile of ash.

It never comes.

The next thing I'm aware of is a heavy weight on top of me as a tremendous clap of thunder shakes the earth beneath me. Red eyes meet my own, and I realize Gilbert must have pushed me out of the way just in time. How he outpaced the lightning, I'll never know.

"Let's get inside," he yells with a visible wince.

I help him up and gasp at his condition. His entire back is covered in angry looking burns, and a lot of the feathers have been singed off his white wings. Looks like he didn't quite outrun the lightning after all.

"Move!" he growls, which pulls me out of my reverie.

The two of us run for the Temple and make it inside without another incident. We collapse to the ground next to the others and breathe heavily along with the rest of them. Blood pounds in my ears as I try to relax my screaming muscles. Every part of my body protests me getting up, but I have to check on my group.

The wind gives one final shriek before settling into a low, hollow sounding wail. I scan the area to make sure there are no more threats. The Wolf Temple looks nothing like the Bear Temple. Lichen hangs from the earthen ceiling and have some kind of light source woven into them. Mushrooms and other ferns grow along the seams of the room where the ground meets the walls, and thick, sweet smelling grass carpets the ground.

Right in front of me is a stone altar that looks similar to the one from the other Temple. Behind it stands a large statue of a beautiful woman with her arms outstretched. It has different colored moss growing around its base, and I assume it's a statue of the goddess Lumatri.

"You would be correct." A woman that looks exactly like the statue steps out from behind the stone monument. "Welcome to my home."

Her mouth doesn't move, but her voice is as clear as a bell. This is most definitely the Wolf Mother.


	28. Divided

The goddess approaches me with a cheeky smirk and stands in front of you with her hands on her hips. Much like the Bear Mother, she has a hood covering her head that looks like a wolf head. Several fluffy wolf tails hang from her waist, and the short skirt she wears looks like gray wolf fur. Her dark brown hair reaches a little past her shoulders, which are covered in more fur.

"Well, well, well champion of the Great Mother. It took you a while to get here, didn't it?"

"Uh...yeah. I guess it did," I answer hesitantly. She's very different from Urmatri, that's for sure.

"No matter. You're here now and that's what's important," she says as her smile widens. The goddess spreads her arms out and gestures around her excitedly. "So, what do you think? Better than the Bear Temple, huh?"

"It's very nice," I say in an attempt to stay neutral. The last thing I need are angry goddesses harassing me because I said something stupid.

"It's not as drab as Urmatri's place. She really needs to liven her Temple up a bit." The Wolf Mother gives you a sideways glance. "You should see this place in the spring. So many colors it would make your head spin."

I nod wordlessly as I wait for the goddess to say what she came to say. She wouldn't appear to me for no reason, would she?

"Rather impatient I see," she remarks as if reading my mind. "Well, that's to be expected after what you've been through. Let's get down to business then."

I look down to check on my companions, who have been rather quiet through this whole thing, and realize they're nowhere to be seen. They just vanished.

"Where is everyone?" I ask on the brink of panic.

"I was wondering when you'd ask that," the Wolf Mother says with amusement shining in her yellow eyes. "They're still here, but not here here. You're currently unconscious."

"Oh," I say rather lamely. I feel like I should have guessed as much by now. "So, what do you want from me?"

"Now there's an interesting question!" The goddess turns back toward the statue of herself. "I guess I wanted to thank you for bringing my children here." She turns her head to look at me again. "Even if they are a little worse for wear."

My mouth opens to say something, but words fail me. I let my head hang in shame. "I'm sorry," I whisper. "It's my fault they got hurt."

Something lands on the top of my head, and I glance up to see the Wolf Mother smiling with her hand on my head. "Nonsense. It's because of you they made it this far." She lets her hand trail through my hair and studies it closely. "What an interesting color," she muses. Her eyes snap back up to meet mine and she smiles once again. "But like I was saying, without you they wouldn't have made it, and for that, I'm grateful."

"But what did I-"

"Monteurbem," the goddess says cutting me off. "You searched for Feliciano nonstop until you found him, and at the Bear Temple you healed his arm. You try to be a good friend to Lovino, even though he's a brat." She snickers at that. "You also risked your very life to heal his shadow wound."

"My...my life?" I ask in confusion.

"Yes, your energy level got dangerously low. If you ever run out of energy, you will die."

I swallow nervously at the Wolf Mother's words. I had no idea what kinds of risks came with using my energy. This is definitely information I should pass onto the others.

"My dear children," the goddess says as she crouches down. Feli and Lovino have suddenly appeared on the ground sleeping calmly. "You've done so well. I'm very proud." She brushes the hair out of Feli's face. "My sweet Feliciano, don't ever lose your kind spirit."

I smile softly a her words. I too am proud of Feli for his amazing inner strength and kindness.

Lumatri turns to look at the other Wolf, who is wearing the most peaceful expression I've seen on him in days. "Lovino, my little rebel." The goddess tugs on his curl, which causes him to scowl slightly in his sleep. "Be nicer to your friends. They care about you very much." She then proceeds to move her hand over the infected arm, and the shadowy taint disappears.

"It's gone," I whisper in amazement.

"Small infections are easy to heal," the Wolf Mother says as she stands up. "Once they're fully infected though, there's not much we can do."

We stand in silence for a moment, contemplating what the divine being just said. My group and I need to avoid shadow wounds at all cost, or we might not ever see the end of our journey.

"Don't look so glum, Elizabeta. The goddesses have faith in you. The Great Mother herself picked you after all."

I try to put on a brave face for the goddess, but it must look silly because she laughs.

"The others will be waking up soon," she informs me. "It's time for you to go back. I'll see you again in the heart of the Temple."

Without warning, my eyes begin to grow heavy, and I slowly slink down onto the soft grass to rest my eyes. I can't remember the last time I slept. A short nap won't hurt, I tell myself as my mind floats away into blissful nothingness.

I become aware of someone shaking me gently, and I try to brush them away with my hand. It can't be time to get up yet. I feel like I just barely closed my eyes.

"Elizabeta! Elizabeta, you have to get up!" a voice calls to me through the haze of sleep.

"Mmm...too tired..."

"Hey, c'mon Lizzie," says a second voice. The shaking becomes more vigorous, and I crack open an eye to glare at whoever is waking me.

"Go away," I moan.

"Elizabeta, you need to get up," the voice I now recognize as Kiku's says. "You have to come look at Lovino."

"Lovino?" Lovino? Lovino who? That's when everything comes flying back to me. "Lovino! What's wrong? What's going on?" I practically shout as I stumble to my feet.

Gilbert grabs my shoulders to keep me from running off, and also to keep me from falling over. "Calm down, Lizzie. Everything is fine. We just wanted to show you something awesome."

I look at the Bear and identify him as the other person trying to wake me up. "What is it?"

Kiku motions for me to turn around, and I twist out of Gilbert's arms to see what the fuss is about. I'm met with the sight of Feli smiling happily as Lovino flexes the muscles in his left arm, now without signs of infection.

"She really did it," I say in awe.

Ludwig appears next to Feliciano and looks at me questioningly. "Who did what?"

"The Wolf Mother," I explain. "She cured Lovino's shadow infection."

All eyes turn on me at the mention of the goddess. I squirm a little nervously under everyone's gaze, but it's not like I'm lying or anything.

"The Wolf Mother...did this?" Lovino asks as he gestures to his arm.

I nod once, and Feli jumps into the conversation. "Only after Liza healed your arm with all of our help!"

"I...I think I remember that," the elder Wolf says. He glances up at me, then looks away embarrassed. "Thanks."

My body seems to move with a mind of its own, but I find myself embracing Lovino gently. "Don't ever do something stupid like that again," I whisper.

"Yeah," he grumbles with a red face. "Sorry."

I pull away from the blushing Wolf and beam at my group. "Well, we made it guys. Shall we move on?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea."

We all turn to see where the voice had come from, and we're soon face to face with two priests. They're both dressed in simple woven tunics and pants, but one has green strands of grass and other plants braided into his long silver hair. He appears to be much older than the other priest, who looks like he might be around my age. The light of wisdom doesn't shine in his eyes like they do in the elderly priest's.

"Welcome to the Wolf Temple, champions," the silver haired priest says. "That was quite the storm you weathered. I hope all of you made it out okay?"

"Not quite," Ludwig says gravely. He casts a glance at his brother, who is obviously hiding a lot of pain.

"Your back!" I gasp when I remember what happened. It's always one thing after another it seems.

"I'm fine," Gilbert says in a rather unconvincing voice. He winces when his younger brother lightly pokes his charred back with a long finger.

"This is not fine," Ludwig tells him. "It needs immediate attention."

"Turn around," I instruct as I walk toward the white haired Bear.

He does so slowly, then cranes his head back to look at me. "Are you sure you can do this? You used a lot of energy healing the Wolf kid before."

The goddess's warning rings in my ears, but I ignore it with a shake of my head. "I'll be fine."

I tap into my energy reserve, which has recovered somewhat from earlier, and channel it to my hands. A golden glow spreads across Gilbert's injured back, and I hear him sigh in relief as the burns begin to fade.

"How intriguing!" the elderly priest exclaims.

I concentrate on how much energy I'm using so I don't kill myself on accident, and let my healing powers come to a stop when the Bear's pale skin doesn't show signs of any more burns. His white feathers have also grown back in, which is a relief for all of us. Having a member of the group not be able to fly is a real threat to our safety in a pinch.

"Thanks, Lizzie," Gilbert says as he kisses my forehead. He wanders off to find a fresh shirt from one of our packs.

I blush fiercely at his show of affection, and catch Ludwig trying to hide a smile while Lovino openly smirks. Even the priests give me questioning looks.

"Well, now that that is taken care of, let me introduce myself," the elderly priest says. "My name is Balthesdar, and this is my apprentice, Felix." The younger priest nods. "Someday he will be head priest here."

"My name is Elizabeta, and these are my companions Ludwig, Gilbert, Lovino, Feliciano, and Kiku." I point to each one in turn when I say their name.

"The honor is ours," the head priest says as he salutes us in the custom of the Wolves. We each salute him and his apprentice back before continuing our conversation. "You are here to receive your blessings I take it?"

"Yes," I answer. "Do you know which way we need to go?"

The head priest frowns and strokes his beard. "No, I can't say that I do."

As he continues to think, Feli creeps away from us toward the far end of the room. He walks past the statue of the Wolf Mother and starts touching the wall behind it.

"What are you doing, Feliciano?" Ludwig says in a scolding manner. "Don't mess around with that wall!"

"But there's a doorway here," the younger Wolf twin says.

We all turn to see what the heck he's talking about, but there's nothing but a solid, earthen wall where he's standing. I have a nagging suspicion as to what is going on, but I decide to wait and see what happens.

"I'm sorry, Feliciano, but there's nothing there," Kiku says. "Maybe you're still tired from running, and now you're seeing things."

"No," Lovino interrupts in a firm voice. "I see it too." He joins his brother at the far wall and places his hand on the packed earth. "It's right here. I can see it, but I can't get through."

"Maybe it's like the Bear Temple," I suggest. They all understand what I mean as soon as I say it, except for the priests, who watch us in fascination.

Lovino and Feli meet each other's eyes briefly before attempting to tap into their energy. A light green aura surrounds the younger Wolf, and a darker one surrounds the elder. Soon, the wall begins to fade away, and it reveals a faintly lit corridor that leads further into the Temple.

"It's like that Bear bastard said," Lovino mumbles to himself. He looks at his hands in surprise. "You just know how to use the energy."

Balthesdar and Felix's eyes widen in unbelief. "It just...appeared," the younger priest says. It's the first time he's spoken since we've gotten here, and I'm surprised by how soft his voice is. "I've walked past that wall for years and never saw anything. What kind of magic is this?"

"It's not magic," I tell him with a smile. "It's an energy we possess in the center of our being that the goddesses have gifted us with. We use it to act in their stead as we journey across Elarium."

The others look at me strangely, and I furrow my brows in confusion. Those weren't my words. I feel a faint presence brush the back of my hand, and I realize what had happened. The Great Mother was using me as her mouthpiece to explain this mysterious power we've been granted.

"We also can't use it all up, or we'll die," I add as an afterthought. Now is a good a time as any to break the news.

"Seriously?" Gilbert asks in surprise. Ludwig also seems taken aback by the news. "When were you going to tell us that little detail?"

"I-I just found out recently myself," I say in my defense. "Interesting convo with a goddess. Long story." Everyone looks at me rather oddly, but they don't question it. "L-let's get going," I say to change the subject.

"Yes, let's," Ludwig agrees.

He and the Wolf twins to through the opening first, and soon disappear from sight. Kiku begins to join them, but stops before entering the hallway to look back at me and Gil. The white haired Bear softly touches my shoulder as he walks toward Kiku and the doorway. I watch his strong, lean form for a moment, then turn back to the two priests.

"Thank you for understanding," I say almost apologetically. I feel a little guilty for the way we came barging into the Temple, collapsed on the floor, then disappear without much of an explanation.

"No, no. It's quite alright," the head priest says with a shake of his silver head. "It has been a great honor to meet the champions of the Great Mother."

I smile in acknowledgement before turning to Felix. "Good luck with your apprenticeship."

"T-thank you," he stutters in embarrassment.

I give them one final wave before running after my group. The corridor is not as bright as the main room, but I manage to get through without tripping or anything like that. This hall isn't as long as the one in the Bear Temple, and I quickly catch up with the others, who are standing in a small room. The room has two doorways leading out of it, and my friends seem to be trying to figure out which one to take.

"It's definitely the one on the left!" Lovino sneers in Gilbert's face.

"No, I'm telling you it's gotta be the one on the right!"

"I agree with Lovi. We should go left," Feli says timidly.

Ludwig and Kiku look skeptical. They both start trying to convince the Wolf that the right path is the correct one to take. The volume in the small room begins to rise as each person shouts to be heard over the other.

"What would you know, you stupid Bear bastard! You couldn't tell a rock from a stick if they hit you in the face!"

"You wanna start something, punk? I could kick your butt all over this temple and look awesome doing it!"

"No! I'm positive it's that one!"

"I don't know, Feliciano. I have to agree with my idiot brother that it's this one."

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot!"

"Shut up!" I yell over the commotion. The room goes still as everyone looks at me in shock. "What are you doing?" Everyone begins to talk at once, so I put a hand up to cut them off. "One at a time!" I snap.

"W-well, we didn't know which way to go," Feli begins to explain. "Lovi and I feel very strongly about going to the left-"

"And the awesome me, Ludwig, and Kiku think going to the right is right," Gilbert finishes.

"So, you all have a feeling to go in opposite ways?" I clarify.

"Yes, that's right," Kiku answers.

I step into the center of the room to get a good look at both entryways. They look exactly identical to me, but there's something about the left one that inexplicably draws me in. I take a half step toward it and cock my head curiously.

"I think we should go left," I say softly.

"Not you too!" Gilbert moans. He sighs in exasperation.

I whirl toward him with my hands on my hips. "Do you have a problem with my choice?"

"I just think you're making a mistake," the Bear says with a blasé shrug.

"Fine, you three go right, and we'll go left," I tell him irritatedly.

"Fine," he replies with tight lips. He turns to walk down the right hallway with Ludwig and Kiku.

"Fine!" I spin on my heel and head for the left passage. My fists are clenched tightly, and I fume as I practically stomp toward the two Wolves. Why does Gilbert have to be so snotty and difficult all the time?

"Awkward sexual tension..." Lovino mutters under his breath as I walk past him.

"Just shut it," I snap. The dark corridor looms ahead of me, and I enter it without hesitation, or a backwards glance.


	29. Wolf Temple

This passageway is dimly lit like the one that led to the crossroad. I keep from going too fast to avoid tripping since I can barely see past my nose. Feli whimpers slightly when his outstretched hand brushes up against my back. The noise he makes is quiet, but it eerily echoes off the earthen walls.

A small pinprick of light becomes visible in the distance and I pick up my pace. I can hear Feli and Lovino behind me also begin to move faster as the speck of light grows larger. Hope expands in my chest at the same rate as the light, and there's no mistaking it as an exit.

We burst through the corridor into a very odd looking room. It's circular and has shiny bits of what appears to be glass stuck in the walls. The dirt floor also has sparkling bits of glass embedded in it, and I wonder what the point of it could be.

"Veeee~...how pretty," Feli sighs. He carefully runs his hands across the wall. "Isn't this pretty Lovi?"

No answer comes.

The younger twin and I turn around to see what the problem is, and we can't believe our eyes. There are two Lovinos standing before us. Each one glares at the other with palpable dislike, and they turn to look at us simultaneously. It's probably one of the creepiest things I've ever seen.

"L-Lovi?" Feli asks in confusion.

"What?" the two Lovinos say at the same time.

"He was talking to me, bastard!" growls the Lovino on the right.

"No, he was talking to me!" shouts the other Lovino.

"You wanna bet?" Lovino One shouts.

"Let's settle this, you copycat bastard!"

"You're the copycat! I'm the real one!"

"As real as a mirage!" Lovino Two counters.

"Lovino..." Feli whimpers. He looks back and forth between the two Wolves in a panic. "Which one are you?"

"Stay out of this, bastard!" Lovino One shouts.

"Don't get involved where you're not needed, Feliciano!" Lovino Two roars.

I narrow my eyes at their answers. They both sounded like something the real Lovino would say, but at the same time, something seems off. I watch the two Lovinos argue back and forth as a plan forms in my head. Things are getting pretty heated between the lookalikes, so I decide it's best to act soon.

"Feli," I hiss. He looks at me with a strange expression, and I give him a reassuring smile. "I have an idea."

The Wolf nods in understanding. He turns back to the two forms of his brother, who are now at each other's throats, and waits for me to act.

"Hey!" I shout. The two Lovinos pause their fight to look at me. "Can one of you carry me? I'm feeling faint."

"As if!" Lovino Two says with a roll of his eyes. "Suck it up!"

"Yeah! You have legs! Use 'em!" Lovino One agrees.

"Pleeeeeeaaaassseeee, Lovi?" I beg with a flutter of my eyes.

"Forget it!" yells Lovino One.

"Er...eh...d-don't call me that!" shouts Lovino Two through a faint blush.

Feli and I smile at each other. "You're the real one," I say pointing to Lovino Two.

"Heh, nice job," Lovino One says as he lets go of the other's throat. "You did pretty good for a couple of idiots." He begins to fade away. "You can move on to the next room...if you dare."

We watch in disbelief as the fake Lovino fades out of reality like a dream. There's just empty air where he was standing before. The real Lovino looks to the two of us with a confused expression. He takes a few steps toward us before beginning to speak.

"How...how did you know?" he asks.

"That it was you? Well...there were a couple things," I tell him with a smile. "I was suspicious when one of you called Feli a bastard."

The younger Wolf nods in agreement. "I noticed it too! You never call me that no matter how upset you are."

"How sweet," I coo, to Lovino's annoyance. My expression becomes serious again as I continue my explanation. "To make sure I was right, I decided to come up with a little test."

"Test?" the elder twin asks with an arched brow.

"Yup," I say a little smugly. "I know how much you hate it when anyone other than Feli calls you Lovi. You corrected me, the other didn't."

Lovino opens his mouth, then closes it again. He looks at the two of us grudgingly. I'll bet anything that he hates to admit that we know him well. He pushes past the two of us toward the tunnel opposite the one we came in through.

"Let's get moving!" he calls over his shoulder. "We don't have all day!"

I giggle softly as I follow the Wolf to the passageway. He'll always be the stubborn one. This tunnel is just as dark as the other one, and I pace myself to make sure I don't run into Lovino's back. I'm sure he'd appreciate that a whole bunch. We don't spend too long in the dark because the corridor quickly opens up into another circular room.

Unlike the previous room, the glass shards in the wall and floor are much bigger and reflective. It looks like someone broke hundreds of mirrors and pressed the largest pieces into the earth. Fragmented reflections peer back at us as we circle the round room, and I still wonder what the function of the glass is.

"Hey! Something's not right!" Lovino shouts.

I turn to see what he's referring to, and my stomach drops. There are four Felis facing each other in the middle of the room. I hurry to Lovino's side before anyone can react to the latest development.

"Do we have to do this again?" I ask in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," the Wolf answers darkly. "I don't like the look of this." I can sense his protectiveness over his brother kicking in.

"L-Lovi...? Liza...? W-what's going on?" the Feliciano furthest from us says. His eyes are filled with fear, and I have to fight the urge to run to him.

"'Oooo what's going on? I'm scared'," one of Felis mimics. "You've always been such a weakling, Feliciano."

Lovino and I glance at each other in surprise. That one doesn't sound like Feli at all. What is happening? At least in the last room the copy looked and sounded like the real thing. I don't even know what to expect from the three copies anymore.

"You're pathetic," Dark Feli spits. "You make me sick."

The Feli across from that one begins trembling uncontrollably. "P-please d-don't hurt m-me! I-I'm sorry! I-I'll do b-better next t-time just p-p-please don't hurt me!" Frightened Feli cowers away from the others.

"I...I..." Feliciano stammers out. He's at a loss for words. His eyes dart from one Feli to the other, and his arms come up as if he's trying to defend himself from their presence.

"That's right. Just run away like always," Dark Feli growls. "The two of you are the reason I can never have any fun," he says as he points to the frightened looking Felis.

The fourth Feli yawns and stretches his arms. "While you three are fighting I'll be taking a siesta."

Dark Feli whirls to face Lazy Feli. "You're another reason why no one respects us! All you want to do is sleep and eat pasta all day!"

"And what's wrong with that?" Lazy Feli asks with a shrug. "It's better than wanting to kill everyone."

"What's going on?" I whisper to Lovino as the scene continues to unfold.

"I'm not sure, but those three seem to be parts of my brother's personality," he whispers back. His eyes follow the aggressive Feli as he paces toward the cowering Feli. "I've never seen that side of Feliciano before."

Dark Feli grabs Frightened Feli by the collar and lifts him off the ground with amazing strength. "Look, I'll just get rid of you right here and now. Then maybe people will begin to respect us and not think we're sniveling cowards like you!"

"N-no...p-please...n-no," Frightened Feli gasps pathetically.

"It's not like you can stop me," Dark Feli growls menacingly with a crazy gleam in his eye.

"B-but I can."

We all look to Feliciano in surprise. He's trembling, but he approaches the aggressive side of himself without hesitation. Dark Feli looks at him curiously, and lets Frightened Feli drop to the ground. The cowardly Feli gasps for breath as he scrambles away from his darker counterpart.

"You think you can stop me?" says Dark Feli in amusement. "You, who is just as much of a coward as him," he says pointing to Frightened Feli.

Feliciano gulps nervously and nods. "You are me, so if anyone can stop you, it's me."

Dark Feli sneers. "Don't lump me together with you losers! I'm better than all of you combined!" He cocks his arm and punches Feliciano in the stomach.

"You bastard!" Lovino roars as he tries to go after Feli's aggressive side.

Lazy Feli grabs him before the Wolf can get anywhere near the others. "This isn't your fight," he drawls. "Let Feliciano handle it."

"Let go of me, you bastard!" Lovino struggles against his brother's copy, but to no avail.

"It's no use. He has to do this alone," Lazy Feli tells him with a yawn. "It's not easy, trust me, I know. But Feliciano needs to learn to accept himself."

"Accept...himself?" the elder twin says in confusion.

"Feliciano wishes he could be more like you," explains Lazy Feli. "He wants to be stronger like Ludwig, or smarter like Kiku, or braver like Elizabeta and Gilbert."

"But he doesn't need to change!" I insist. "We love him the way he is!"

"That's something he's going to have to learn for himself." The sleepy eyed Feli lets go of Lovino and lays down on the floor to take a nap.

My eyes quickly move back to what's happening with the real Feli. He and the other Feli haven't moved since the last time I looked at them. Suddenly, Feliciano's hand shoots out and grabs Dark Feli by the elbow.

"What do you think you're doing?" the aggressive Feli asks. He tries to pull his arm away, but it doesn't budge.

"Thank you," Feliciano whispers. "Thank you for pushing me to work harder for my friends. Without you I would have never gotten Liza's spear back from the thieves."

"What are you mumbling about? Let go of me!" There is a trace of fear in Dark Feli's voice.

Feliciano looks up to lock eyes with the aggressive version of himself. "I may be a coward, but I'm still brave because of you." He pulls Dark Feli into a hug, which the other is too surprised to fight. "Please don't be mad at me. I promise I'll try to work harder at being strong."

Dark Feli's eyes go wide. "You..." He never finishes his sentence because he fades out of existence.

Feliciano then turns to his cowardly copy with a smile. "P-please don't h-hate me," Frightened Feli pleads. "I-I'm s-sorry I'm so w-weak."

"I don't hate you," Feliciano tells him gently. "Without you I'd probably be grumpy like Lovi all the time."

Frightened Feli stops shaking. "Y-you...you really t-think so?"

"Yup!" Feliciano says with a nod. He offers his cowardly copy a hand and helps him to his feet. "I'm glad you're around."

A bright smile lights up the other Feli's face. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank...you...thank...you..." He also disappears.

Lazy Feli stretches and gets up off the mirrored floor. He walks up to Feliciano and pats him on the back. "You did good. I'm glad to see you figured it out."

Feli smiles broadly at his unmotivated copy. "Thanks! I'm glad you're part of me too. I might have turned into Ludwig if you weren't here to help me out." The two of them laugh, and I laugh along with them. Poor Ludwig is always getting teased.

"Well, until the next siesta," Lazy Feli says before beginning to fade. "You can move on to the next room."

The three of us watch the last copy disappear. No one says anything for a few moments. I break the stillness by approaching Feli and wrapping a comforting arm around him.

"You don't have to change for us," I tell him. "You're perfect just the way you are."

The Wolf smiles at me in an embarrassed way. "Veee~. I know that now, Liza."

"Ready to keep going?"

He nods and leads the way to the next passageway. It's dark, but I've stopped thinking too much about it. Nothing has happened so far, and I doubt anything will. This tunnel is the shortest by far, and we soon find ourselves in a room completely covered in mirrors.

"Veeeeeee~," Feli breathes in wonder. "What is it for?"

"I'm not sure," I reply. "There seems to be some kind of progression. First it was small glass shards, then large pieces of mirror, and now all mirror. There has to be a meaning."

"The number of copies changed too," Lovino adds. "It started as one, then three."

"Waaaaahhhh! Does that mean there's going to be more here?" the younger Wolf asks. "I don't really like them that much."

"Awwwwww, that makes me sad," a perfect lookalike of me says from the panel of glass next to me. She steps right out of the glass and faces the three of us with a smug grin. "Don't look so surprised. You should have seen this coming."

"What do you want?" I ask her tensely. I was entertaining the idea of it being a copy of me next, but it's still a shock to see my likeness walking around.

"Tisk, tisk. Don't be so hasty. That's how you make mistakes." Her eyes gleam maliciously at the last word.

"What's going on?" Lovino hisses at me.

"Did you ever tell them about the time you made Serah Athill cry because you ripped open her favorite doll?" the other Elizabeta asks me. "How about the time you were expelled from school for attacking a group of boys with a scissors?"

"Liza, what is she talking about?" Feli asks me nervously.

I don't answer the Wolf because my knees are knocking together and a cold sweat covers my palms. How does she know all these things? The other Elisabeta takes a step closer and smiles wickedly. I fight the urge to step away, but my body refuses to listen to me. My fear only makes my copy bolder.

"Did you tell them about the time you put hate a letter on the teacher's desk and addressed it from the girl that laughed at your clothes? Have you told them how many times you got scolded for coming home a bloody mess because you started a fight you couldn't finish?"

"S-stop!" I shout at the other me, who only laughs and moves closer. "Stop! Stay away!"

"Why? You don't want to hear about all the things you've done? All the mistakes you've made?" She looks at the three of us and laughs darkly. "You would be disgusted by the things she's done, the thoughts she's had. She's like scum!"

The air seems to get colder as I back away from my likeness. The mirrors around me reflect my image, but all I can see are more evil smirks and hateful eyes. Fear clutches my heart as my back presses into the smooth, flat surface of a mirror. I can't move back, and my copy closes in from the front. I'm trapped.

"Did you tell them about that mouse you couldn't save? How they found you covered in its blood? You probably killed it!"

"No, stop! Please!" I press my palms to my ears, but I can still hear her voice loud and clear.

"Did you tell them about your dog? The one that was killed because you were too weak to do anything? Did you tell them how much you hate yourself for it? You are a monster, Elizabeta! A disgusting monster that has made too many mistakes!"

The other Elizabeta's cold hand wraps itself in my long hair and yanks hard, which causes me to yelp in pain. She twists my head by my hair to look into her cruel and calculating eyes. I can see my own terrified face in their dull green depths.

"You don't deserve love," she murmurs in my ear. "You don't deserve your friends. You especially don't deserve Gilbert. If he knew who you really were he'd run away in disgust."

"No-"

"Yes, and you know it!" my copy shrieks. "Don't act like anyone would care about you after all the mistakes you've made!"

"I-I care!"

We both look to see Feli standing a few body lengths away with his hand tentatively raised in the air. His brother stands firmly beside him with narrowed eyes, glaring at my lookalike.

"I care!" Feli repeats. "Liza is special and important to me, and the whole group. We need her."

"You're just saying that because she's been chosen to be the savior of Elarium!" the other Elizabeta spits. "She means nothing to you!"

"You're wrong," Lovino says. "She's our comrade, and we're a family. You never turn your back on family."

"But...! But...!" My copy lets go of me and takes a few unsteady steps away from the three of us. "That doesn't make sense! She's a horrible person! Didn't you hear what I was saying? It's all true!"

"I don't care!" Feli shouts back. "Everyone makes mistakes! It's not fair if we hate Liza for them! Liza is my friend, and nothing you say can change that!"

The other Elizabeta continues backing away until she runs into a mirror on the other side of the circular room. She looks back and forth between each of us in a panic. The glass behind her begins to swallow her up, and as it does so, her eyes lock onto mine one final time.

"Why do they defend you?" she asks in a defeated voice. "I don't understand."

I give her a pitying glance. "Love," I tell her simply.

My likeness's eyes widen in surprise just as her face is pulled into the mirror. She presses her palms to the glass as if trying to get back through. A look of desperation covers her face as she noiselessly pounds on the mirror. I start to wonder if there's something wrong when she mouths four word to me.

"No one loves me."

Then she fades away leaving the three of us rather shaken. I turn to look at the Wolf twins, who appear to be relieved the whole ordeal is over. Feli smiles at me in a tired kind of way, and I wonder if he really meant all the things he said.

"You know everything she said is true, right?" I ask them.

"It doesn't matter," Feli says. "It's like Lovi said, you're family, and we don't give up on family."

"Thanks," I tell them gratefully.

"We better get moving," Lovino says rather gruffly. He's probably embarrassed from saying such personal things.

We walk to the corridor opposite the side we came in and enters without hesitation. Unlike the others, this one is brightly lit and easy to navigate. It's also very short, which is an added bonus. I'm about ready to drop after all the craziness we've been through.

The passageway opens up to a large room full of bright flowers. Somehow they grow from the earthen floor without any natural light. Small yellow blooms sway slightly as we walk past them toward a stone statue of two wolves in the center of the room. Each wolf has an intricate pattern carved into their fur, and they seem to watch our movement with their inanimate eyes.

"Just like the Bear Temple," I murmur.

"Only better!" says a familiar female voice.


	30. Blessings

The three of us whirl around to see Lumatri standing with her hands on her hips and a big grin on her face. Sharp canines glint in her smile as it widens at our surprise. The goddess approaches us and gathers us up in a big hug.

"I'm so proud of all of you!" she beams. "You made it!"

"Veeeeee~!" Feli sighs happily. He embraces her with a big smile on his face.

"Gah!" Lovino exclaims. He squirms uncomfortably.

"You're so pretty Mama," Feli says in a soft voice.

The Wolf Mother pulls back suddenly and looks at the younger twin in surprise. "What...did you...?"

"You remind me of my mama," Feli explains.

Tears form in the goddess's bright yellow eyes and she embraces Feli tenderly. "Oh my poor child. I'm so sorry about your parents. I'm so, so sorry." She strokes the Wolf's hair gently. "I can't tell you how sorry I am. I didn't want for that to happen, but it was out of my control. I'm so sorry, little one."

Feli hugs her back, but soon begins to shake as large tears roll down his face. He sobs into the Wolf Mother's shoulder and clutches the silvery fur there. All the pain he's been holding in for years since his parents' death now come out with every tear and tremor of his body.

I turn to Lovino and see his fist clenched tightly at his side. He's biting his lip to keep the tears at bay, but I can see the pain swirling in his eyes. He still hasn't come to terms with the loss of his parents either. I slowly reach out a comforting hand to the Wolf.

"Lovino-"

"Don't touch me, dang it!" he snaps as he swats my hand away. I watch helplessly as he covers his eyes with an arm in an attempt to hide his tears.

The Wolf Mother carefully shifts Feli to her other shoulder and opens her arm to the Wolf's brother. Lovino hesitates, but after a moment, he joins his brother in the goddesses embrace. The two twins sob away all of the frustration and pain they've had to endure for most of their lives. Lumatri looks up at me with teary eyes.

"Thank you for bringing them here...my precious children..."

My throat closes with emotion, and I just nod in acknowledgement. For a moment, the Wolves appear like little children clutching their mother, and I can't help but wonder what kind of woman their mother was.

"You made it through the Reflection Chambers," the goddess murmurs. "It was not an easy task in the least. I designed it to test the bonds of a family to make sure my champions had the resolve they would need, and you all passed admirably."

"What did the mirrors have to do with it?" I ask curiously.

Lumatri smiles and continues to smooth the Wolves' hair comfortingly. "Each room reflected more of your strength as a family. The first room was to test how well you know each other. The second was to test how well you know yourself, and the third was to see how much you trust and accept each other. The rooms become more realistic and difficult to pass as the mirrors reflect more and more. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," I answer softly. A question nags at the back of my mind, and I decide I want to know the answer. "What did my reflection mean, 'No one loves me'?"

The goddesses yellow eyes darken. "Those lookalikes you saw weren't just illusions. They are strange creatures that reside in mirrors and bodies of water that change forms to become the reflections we see. The ones in the Temple have sworn to serve me in exchange for immortality and the ability to exist outside of their mirrors for short periods of time. Some regret their oath more than others."

I think about what the Wolf Mother had just said. That other me said she has no love and was trying to escape the glass. "She's jealous of me?" I say disbelievingly.

The Wolf Mother nods. "Unfortunately, that one is more restless than the others. She longs for the outside world and the companionship of others."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Feli asks the goddess. He look up at her imploringly, and a small smile tugs at her lips.

"I'll see what I can do," she tells him. "Are you two feeling better now?" Feli nods, and Lovino hastily wipes away the last stray tears from his eyes.

"I would've been fine if you two hadn't started bawling like babies," the moody Wolf grumbles.

"Says the one who bawled the hardest," the goddess counters.

"Did not!" Lovino shouts back. His face is red, which makes the rest of us laugh.

"Let's move on to more important things," Lumatri says once the laughter dies down. "My time with you is limited, and we've already used quite a bit."

She takes a step away from the twins and toward the statues in the middle of the circular room. The statues stand nobly with their stone heads held up proudly, and the goddess places her hand on one of them.

"You have the relics?" the Wolf Mother asks.

The twins roll back their sleeves to reveal matching leather wrist cuffs from the ceremony. It seems like so long ago that I had seen them that I almost forgot they existed. A design similar to the one on the statues decorate the tough leather surface of the bands. The goddess focuses her energy into the statues, and the strange pattern carved into their fur begins to glow bright green. A similar glow starts to appear on the armbands as the light on the statues fade. It's as if the light was transferred from one set of object to the other.

"Here is my blessing to you," Lumatri tells the Vargas's. "Call upon this gift whenever you need a better perspective. It will enhance your seeing, hearing, and smelling to the same level as your ancient brothers that roam across the grasslands."

"Thank you," Feli says politely. He elbows his brother to do the same.

"Ow! Dang it, Feliciano!" his older brother growls. The Wolf looks up at the goddess briefly before looking down in embarrassment. "Thanks."

"You're very welcome, my dear children." The Wolf Mother smiles widely. "I'm very proud of both of you. Make sure you help Elizabeta to the best of your ability. Don't be a hindrance to your friends. They're you're family now, so you have to positively contribute. Did you hear that? Poooooosssitive." She looks pointedly at Lovino.

She then looks to me next and winks teasingly. "You've done well putting up with these two so far. If it were up to me, I'd say you should be done with your quest for just making it this far." The goddess laughs good naturedly. "I wish you much luck on your journey, champion of the Great Mother. Please bring peace to our land."

As soon as the words finish ringing in my mind, the Wolf Mother disappears, and the two brothers fall unconscious. I'm about to run to them when a familiar presence surrounds me. A golden warmth fills the room, and I turn to my right expectantly.

There stands the Great Mother.

"Well done, Elizabeta," she praises. "I had faith that you would make it this far."

"Thanks," I reply. "It wasn't easy."

The goddess places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I know that was difficult for you. Reliving one's mistakes is never a desirable task. You handled it very well." I just smile wearily at her. "I'm here to tell you about the gift I am bestowing upon you for getting this far."

A warmth flows into me from the Great Mother's hand, and it feels like part of me has been unlocked. Like I can access more of my potential than I could before.

"You now have the ability to heal shadow infections," she informs me. "Hopefully this gift will help you avoid any more situations like the one you faced after your battle with Kirkland."

My heart clenches when I think about that fight. We weren't prepared for that at all. "What are we going to do?" I ask in a small voice. "We barely made it out of that alive, and he's only going to get stronger."

"Do not despair, my dear Elizabeta. You must believe in yourself and in your companions," the goddess says. "You have more strength than you think."

"I don't know about that..." I whisper. "Hearing all those things I've done...I could barely handle that. How can I fight an army of shadows?"

"You will find the strength. Think of those you are fighting for. Isn't there someone you care about very deeply?"

I glance up to meet the Great Mother's deep purple eyes, which seem to smile knowingly at me. An image flashes through them almost too fast to see, but I could swear it looked like Gilbert.

"Love is a kind of light, and where there's light there can be no darkness," Matrisus tells me as she takes a step back. "I wish I could tell you more, but this is your journey to undertake. May good fortune light your path, my champion, and may you discover the love you lack."

"What? Wait what do you mean-"

My words fall short and echo around an empty room. The goddess has already disappeared. I shift my weight from one foot to the other as I contemplate what I should do now. My answer comes when the most irresistible urge to sleep comes over me, and I slowly curl up on a soft bed of flowers. The last thing I remember before drifting off is wondering what kind of love the Great Mother meant.

My eyelids flutter slightly, but I refuse to open them. Sleep is rather hard to come by lately, and I'm not about to let this opportunity go. What bothers me is that the ground I'm sleeping on is not nearly as comfortable as I'd like. There's also a chill starting to creep over me, and I shudder violently. How long have I been laying here?

I let my eyes slowly open and take in my surroundings. I'm back in the main room of the Wolf Temple, and from what I can see, it looks like the others are here too. I do my best to sit up silently and do a headcount. There's five including me, which makes me panic a little. Who's missing? The Vargas twins are curled up back to back next to me, and Kiku is sleeping peacefully a little ways off. I can't see who the last person is, but my guess is that it's Ludwig from his size.

"You're the first one up."

I jump and spin around to see Gilbert sitting against the stone alter in the center of the room. He watches me with guarded eyes, and a heavy sense of despair forms in my chest. He must be mad at the way I snapped at him when our group split up at the crossroad. I desperately try to think of something, anything to say to him. Panic begins to take over when nothing comes to mind.

"What's wrong," he asks in a flat voice. The Bear sounds exhausted, but a flicker of worry crosses his red eyes as he watches me struggle to come up with something to say.

This gives me hope, and I decide saying anything is better than keeping quiet at this point. "I...I just...I don't know...I'm really...I know...I...I..." My hands fly up to cover my face. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just so tired and scared and...I'm sorry."

Nothing happens for a long time, and then suddenly, I feel strong, warm arms wrap around me. I'm so surprised by this that I gasp out loud and uncover my face. Gilbert's beautiful crimson eyes meet mine, and in that moment I know everything is okay.

"Is that what you're worried about?" he asks in a gentle voice. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have doubted you like that, Lizzie." He looks down and chuckles softly. "Turns out you were right anyway."

"Gil-"

I'm cut off by the Bear's soft lips on mine. He kisses me so sweetly and tenderly that it makes up for more than any apology ever could. I kiss him back eagerly, and breathe in his masculine scent, which reminds me of the forest. I've missed him more than I thought in the brief time we were apart, and now I can't get enough.

"Gilbert," I breathe. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replies. He leans in to kiss me some more, but I pull back to look him directly in the eyes.

"I've made a lot of mistakes, Gilbert. Things I can't ever take back. I don't want you to have to suffer because of the things I've done. I love you, but..."

The white haired Bear just stares at me for a moment before pulling me over to the spot he was previously occupying by the alter. He settles me in his lap and holds me against his chest protectively. I can hear his heart beating steadily through his shirt, and it reminds me of that night under the stars when he first shared his feelings for me after I escaped Oblivion.

"Have you ever killed anyone, Lizzie?"

"N-no." I'm taken aback by his question.

"Have you ever hurt someone beyond repair?"

"No," I answer.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Gilbert says. "Everyone makes mistakes. Yours can't be worse than anyone else's."

"But-" He silences me with a finger.

"There are no 'buts', Lizzie. You're not perfect, but neither am I. It's like my ma always used to say. 'Flaws are like eyes, a nose, and a mouth. You'd look pretty funny without them'."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask in confusion.

"It means everyone makes mistakes, and that's what makes us, us. You wouldn't be Elizabeta without your flaws," he explains.

"Oh, I get it." I think about his words some more. "I like that."

"Good," he says with a sigh. "No more of this 'I'm not good enough' stuff."

We sit together in silence as the time flows on by. It looks dark outside, so I can only assume it's night. That freak storm on our way here threw off my sense of time, so who knows how long we've been here. It might have been hours, or days, since we arrived.

"Why are you still awake?" I ask Gilbert softly. "You look tired."

"I'm on watch," he says with a sleepy smile. "Our path led us right back here, so we waited for the three of you to get back. It wasn't too long after West and Kiku fell asleep that the Wolf kids showed up. Then you just suddenly appeared when I wasn't looking. Scared the crap out of me by the way. Not awesome."

"Sorry," I tell him with a giggle. "Maybe you should get some sleep. I can stay on watch."

Gilbert shakes his head. "Nah, I'd rather stay awake with you. We haven't had time together like this in a while."

"Yeah," I agree as I snuggle into his chest. "It's nice."

A short silence follows my words, but Gilbert quickly breaks the spell. "Teach me that song you sang that one time."

My brows furrow as I try to remember what he's talking about. "You mean 'The Place Where You Are'?"

"Yeah, that one. Teach it to me."

"Okay. It starts like this."


	31. Florumpum

We spend the next several days camped out at the Wolf Temple. Most of the time is spent sleeping or eating. One person always stays on guard, but they usually end up falling asleep too. The priests don't mind us hanging out at the Temple. I think they realize we've been through a lot recently, and I completely agree with them. We've been in need of a break like this for a long time.

The day finally comes when my little family decides it's time to move on. We pack up all of our gear, and the extra supplies the priests gave us, before heading off toward the north. The temperature has taken a nosedive, so we wrap our cloaks around us tightly as we walk. Soon the plants will start dying and the snow will come.

A particularly cold gust of wind tugs at my cloak, and I shiver violently. "We need to get some warmer clothes. Winter's on its way."

"I can keep you warm in the meantime," Gilbert says from beside me. He takes my cold hand in his larger one. "Jeez, Lizzie! Your hand is like ice!"

I giggle. "Here, feel the other one." I touch his face with my hand, and he flinches away from it.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so cold?" he exclaims.

"It's because girls have cold hearts," Lovino says from behind us.

I turn to glare daggers at him. "What are you trying to say?"

"Eh! N-nothing...it was a joke," he mumbles. He backs away from us before I can playfully smack him.

"Elizabeta makes a good point though. We need to find warmer clothes," Ludwig says. "We should look around at the next town we come across."

"Which one would that be?" I ask Kiku, our official navigator at the moment.

He pulls out his map. "Hmmm. It would appear we should reach Florumpum in two days. Sooner if we walk faster."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for some warmer clothes," I say. "Let's get moving!"

"You really want to run all the way there?" Gilbert asks in surprise. Weariness is still evident in his face, and I know he's not looking forward to more running.

"No, I was thinking something a little more awesome." I smile and take a step away from the Bear to take off my cloak. My golden wings glitter in the faint autumn light.

Gilbert's face breaks into a smile when he understands what I mean. He also removes his cloak as I take off into the sky. It feels so good to stretch my wings that I give a whoop of joy. The wind is even colder up here, but the adrenaline rushing through my veins keeps me feeling warm. I feel something tugging at my hair, and I turn my head to see Gilbert flying above me. His wingspan is much larger than mine, and casts an equally large shadow over me.

"Are the others coming?" I shout over the roar of the wind.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he answers.

In sync, the two of us peel off in different directions and loop around to see if our group is following. Kiku and Feli are already in the air, and Romano is just about to take off. I watch Ludwig slowly take his dark red cloak off and carefully stow it in his pack before opening his speckled wings. I'm starting to think Ludwig doesn't like flying.

"Hey, what's up with Ludwig?" I ask Gilbert when we meet back up. "Does he not like to fly?"

The white haired Bear sighs as he starts his explanation. "West was never a strong flyer as a kid. Me and my old man used to take him out flying sometimes, but it didn't help much. He used to get teased at school too. And then here was a time that he stopped flying all together."

"What happened?" I ask with wide eyes.

"I don't actually know," Gilbert admits. "When we went flying before getting to Monteurbem, that was the first time I've seen him fly in a long time."

I look back at the younger Bear, who seems to be managing just fine. His blue eyes connect with mine for a moment, as if he knows we're talking about him.

"What changed his mind?" I wonder out loud.

"He probably just didn't want to get left behind," Gilbert replies.

I turn my head back to the front and think about what I had just been told. We all carry burdens so it would seem. I try not to dwell on that too much and focus on enjoying the flight. Miles and miles of undisrupted grassland stretches out in every direction creating a continuous horizon. My mind drifts off blissfully as we continue toward Florumpum. We're one step closer to the end of our journey.

The next day finds us refreshed and rejuvenated. We had set up camp about a half a day's walk from our destination. The night had been chilly, so Kiku and I slept back to back in our tent to keep warm. I was worried that my shivering would keep him awake, but we had both been so tired that neither of us noticed it.

Breakfast consists of cold cheese on partially stale bread. It's too much of a hassle to start a fire with all this grass everywhere, so we have to make due with a cold meal. On the other hand, water is fairly easy to come by, and we make sure to fill our water pouches before packing everything away.

My shoulders are a little sore from flying yesterday, so I wince slightly when I put my pack on. It's much lighter now than before since we're wearing almost every bit of spare clothing we have. The sun struggles to shine through the gray clouds floating lazily in the sky, and it makes everything feel a little colder as we walk.

Gilbert silently falls into step next to me and slips his hand into mine. I give it a grateful squeeze as it warms up my numb fingers. He looks down at me with a soft smile and loving emotions in his eyes.

"We're going to have to find you some gloves," he murmurs. He places a warm kiss on my temple, which causes me to blush slightly.

"It's strange having someone showing me affection," I whisper.

Gil looks at me worriedly. "You don't like it?"

"No! It's not like that!" I insist. "It's just...different, but not bad. I actually kinda like it"

"Well, I'm glad," he says. His smile brightens the gloomy atmosphere.

We walk in silence a little further, and my mind starts to wander. Kiku is in front of us looking at his map intently. He might not be showing it, but I know he's nervous about going back to Eagle Territory. I remember the day we left to go to the neutral grounds where the Ceremony of Legends had taken place. The dark haired Eagle couldn't have been more relieved to get out of his native Territory.

"We're almost there!" Kiku calls over his shoulder. His voice pulls me out of my web of thoughts. "The town should be coming up soon!"

An excited buzz seems to come over our group, and we pick up the pace in anticipation. Feli hops past us happily, and his deep green cloak billows out behind him.

"Veeeeee~! I hope they have warm food and cute girls! Veeeeeeeee~!"

I smile at the Wolf's playful antics. "I just hope they have some warm clothes."

"We'll find out soon enough," Gilbert says matter of factly.

Things are not right when we get to Florumpum. The air is still, and the buildings are quiet. There seems to be no sign of life anywhere. I get a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I try not to think about worst case scenarios. Gilbert glances at me momentarily when I tighten my hold on his hand. Something is just not right.

We walk down the main street of the town in hopes that there would be someone we can talk to. All of the houses seem empty and abandoned. That's when we start to see signs of distress. Carts and boxes lay scattered and broken along the side of the road. The houses further down the street have doors and windows that are either open or broken. Debris and garbage litter the ground, and sometimes a stray bit of something is picked up by the wind and blown away.

"What happened here?" I ask in a hushed voice.

"It looks like the town's been raided," Lovino replies in an equally quiet voice. It's as if we're afraid whatever caused this will return if we talk too loudly.

"Raided? By bandits?" Ludwig questions. His deep voice creates a slight echo through the abandoned street.

"Yeah. This happens to small villages sometimes by gangs of criminals. I'm surprised they would target a town this big," the Wolf explains. "Something just doesn't add up."

An odd shape attracts my eyes to an upturned cart, and I slowly walk toward it to get a better look. What I see draws a shocked gasp from my lips.

"What is it, Lizzie?" Gilbert asks.

"I-it...it...it's a...a person..." I finally manage to get out. "She's...she's dead. Oh no...oh gosh..." I step away from the woman's body.

The others gather around me to look for themselves. I'm disgusted by the way her body has been torn then discarded on the ground, but I can't seem to make myself look away. Who would do something like this?

"It wasn't a bandit gang," Lovino says in a low voice.

"How do you know for sure?" Gilbert asks him. There's no antagonism in his voice as he addresses the Wolf, their mutual dislike for each other forgotten at the awful sight of death.

"Those gashes weren't made by weapons," the elder twin explains. He pushes up his left sleeve to reveal a pink, jagged scar running the length of his forearm that matches the woman's injuries. "It was made by a shadow creature."

"Kirkland," I say through grit teeth. Terrible rage builds inside of me when I think about him slaughtering this town full of innocent people. "I swear I will bring you to justice. Just you wait!"

A low groan startles us as it drifts through the ghost town. It's coming from a house further down the street, and I debate whether we should check it out or not. I begin to walk toward the sound of the noise.

"Elizabeta!" Kiku cries out. "It could be dangerous!"

"Or it could be a person," I tell him. "We can't take that chance."

"We can't take the chance of something happening to you either," Gilbert says as he grabs my wrist to stop me. "Think about it, Lizzie."

"I have though about it. I can handle myself if it isn't a person."

The Bear looks torn. He slowly releases my wrist, but looks me straight in the eyes as he does so. "Fine, but I'm coming with you."

I wordlessly nod my consent, and the two of us make our way to a house with blown out windows. Unlike Pratilux, the houses here are made of stone and lumber, which must have been imported from other places. The wooden door of the house creaks eerily when I push it open. I almost lose my nerve, but I take a deep breath and step through the threshold.

The inside is dark and dusty from the wind blowing dirt in the open doorway. Broken glass crunches under our boots as we look for the source of the moan. A crash makes me jump and reach for the silver dagger at my waist. Gilbert already has one of his axes ready for the first signs of danger. My dagger gleams in the dim light, and I can see it shaking in my trembling hand. I may have made my case about an injured person earlier, but the probability of it being a shadow creature is just as likely.

We search the entire first room without finding anything. Furniture and personal belongings have been strewn haphazardly around, and I do my best not to make any unnecessary noise. Suddenly, I hear the moan again, only this time it's much quieter. It reminds me of a dying animal, which only makes me more nervous. The sound seems to be coming from the staircase in the back of the room. I slowly peek underneath the boards, scared of what I would find.

A pair of sad, blue eyes meet mine from the floor. I gasp in horror at the state of this man's body. His brown wings have been torn to shreds, and out of several deep slashes oozes thick, dark blood. The smell is unbearable, and I'm torn between crying and throwing up. Whoever is responsible for this needs to pay dearly.

"Please..." the man says in hardly more than a whisper. "Help...me..."

"What do we do?" I ask Gilbert, who is standing behind me with the same horrified expression as me.

"Can you help him?" the Bear suggests. "It's probably too late, but-"

He never finishes sentence. I kneel on the wooden floorboards where it isn't soaked in blood. My hands tremble uncontrollably as I extend them over the mutilated man. His blue eyes follow my every move. I let my energy flow, and a golden glow lights up the area under the stairs.

"Noooooo! Noooooo!" the man shrieks in pure, unrestrained terror. He contorts his body to escape the light, and fresh blood begins to flow from his wounds. Animalistic wails tear from his throat.

I jump away from the screaming man in terror. In a white flash, Gilbert is in front of me holding his axe in a threatening way. I can feel myself shaking even more against his solid back, and he clasps my hand tightly in an effort to comfort me.

"What did you do?" the Bear hisses.

I'm too shaken to say anything at first, but I soon find the words to answer. "N-nothing! I-I just t-tried to heal him."

The man stops his wailing and begins to whimper. I feel so sorry for him, but repulsed at the same time. An idea pops into my head, and I allow myself to slip into my sixth sense. Instead of the world becoming a rainbow of energy colors, it turns into a cold, shadowy place that rival Oblivion. The entire building is saturated with dark energy, including the man writhing on the ground. The only signs of untainted life are Gilbert's energy and my own.

"He's infected," I breathe against Gilbert's back.

"That explains a lot," he growls, still tense. I try to step around the white haired Bear, but he blocks me with his arm. "Are you crazy, Lizzie? You can't go near him!"

I place my hand on his arm and gently push it away. "You have to trust me on this, Gil."

The Bear hesitates, but he does eventually let me pass. I crouch down beside the injured man. His breathing is short and heavy, and I hate to think about what he must be feeling right now, alone, in pain, abandoned like his town. It must be awful.

I place my hands over him once more, and again his blue eyes follow my movement. They roll around in their sockets, but they return to me without fail every time. A low moan escapes his cracked lips at the same time I tap into my new power. It flows out slower than my healing power, like a thick syrup. Once it reaches my hands it emits a warmth instead of a light. I can feel it reach out toward the infected man and combat the darkness consuming his being.

My warm energy fights against the coldness of the shadow infection. It's like the sunlight during the winter and it's eternal struggle to warm the earth against the frigid northern winds. The gray taints of infection ever so slowly begin to recede from the man's skin. He stares with wide eyes as if unsure of what is happening, and I grit my teeth against the strain of expending energy. It takes a lot more effort on my part to heal shadow infections than it does to heal wounds.

"Are you healing the infection?" Gilbert asks in disbelief.

"Trying," I respond tersely.

The infection disappears to a certain point, but it refuses to fade after that. I pour more energy into my hands, but the infection fights back with just as much vigor. It even manages to push my energy back, and shadows creep back up the man's body.

"No, no, no," I hiss in frustration. I'm losing my grip on the infection, and it throws my energy off altogether. "No...I...I can't..."

Gilbert takes my hand and helps me to my feet. He pulls me in close to comfort me, and I clutch at his shirt. "It's okay, Lizzie. I think he's too far gone."

"I can't help him, Gilbert." I tighten my grip on the Bear's shirt. "What can we do? I can't do it..."

"We have to let him go," he tells me gently. "You did your best, and now there's nothing more you can do."

Thoughts of my little Kip enter my mind as Gilbert's words echo in my ears. I'm a failure all over again. The beginning of a sob rips at my throat, and Gil tightens his hold on me. I refuse to let the tears come though. At least this time I can be strong.

The infected man lets out a menacing growl and starts to twitch on the ground. His body bends and twists into unnatural shapes as the shadows engulf his entire body. The two of us watch with disturbed fascination as his countenance changes to one of an insane creature and not of a man in pain. He resembles something between an angel and a shadow creature, both parts competing against each other to be the dominant half. This is the fate of those consumed by the darkness.

"Lizzie, you have to get out of here," Gilbert says urgently.

"W-what about you?"

"I'll be fine," he replies as he tightens his hold on his axe. "Just go. I'll catch up."

I know perfectly well what he plans on doing, but I pretend to be ignorant. It pains me to know the man is going to die, although at this point it would be doing him a service. I untangle myself from Gilbert's arms and flee the building. An otherworldly growl follows me out the door, but it cuts off abruptly the moment I'm back outside. Despite the overcast weather, it's so much brighter out here than in the house.

"Elizabeta! Over here!" Kiku shouts. I turn to see him waving something at me. "I found something for you!"

I walk up the street toward him and accept the items in his hand. One is a sturdy looking jacket, the other is a pair of soft woolen gloves. "Where did you get these?"

"We found them in some of the empty houses," the Eagle answers with sad eyes. "I know stealing is wrong, but...I don't think these people will..." His voice trails off.

"It's okay, Kiku. I understand. Thank you." I give him a small, comforting smile.

Gilbert joins us at that moment. His face is set in a careful expression, and he watches me to make sure I'm okay. I give him a small smile as well.

"Let's get out of this place," he says. "I can't stay here much longer."

I couldn't agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Meanings for Names:
> 
> Florumpum: formed using campum florum (field of flowers)


	32. Actions Speak Loudly

It takes us about a week to reach the border between Wolf and Eagle Territory. The weather continued to get colder and colder in the meantime, which is highly unusual. Yes, summer is over, but it shouldn't be getting this cold so quickly. I try not to think about what this odd weather foreshadows. I also try not to think about Florumpum.

Almost all of the warm clothing my group is wearing was scavenged from the desolate town. I do my best not to wonder what happened to the previous owners of my jacket and gloves. It's better that way. We had left the town almost as soon as we had arrived, but it couldn't have been soon enough. The images of the broken bodies and empty houses that filled the town are still burned into my eyelids. I see them every time I close my eyes.

"...zie! Hey, Lizzie! Snap out of it!"

"Huh? What?" I look to Gilbert in surprise.

"I called your name like five times! What the heck are you doing way over here?" The Bear approaches me and takes a seat next to me in the cool grass. Our group has decided to take a break before crossing the border, and I must have wandered off farther than I though if Gilbert's come to look for me.

"Oh, I don't know. Thinking," I answer vaguely.

"Why are you sitting out here all by yourself?" he asks. "You're going to catch a cold."

I look down at my warm gloves and swallow back the guilt threatening to rise to the surface. "It's not the worst thing that could happen."

Gil frowns at my emotionless answers. "What's really the matter, Lizzie? You've been off ever since we got here."

"I don't know," I say with a shrug. "A lot on my mind I guess. We've been through a lot since this whole thing started."

The Bear moves closer and wraps his arm around me. I lean my head against his shoulder and sigh contently. "If anyone had told me before the ceremony that this is what was going to happen, I would've laughed in their face and called them crazy," he says after a while.

"You and me both," I tell him with a small, amused grin. "Never in a million years would I have imagined I could be like this. With friends, happy, saving the world."

"You forgot something."

I frown in confusion. "What?"

"The awesome me, of course!" Gilbert says with a laugh. "Kesesese! You'd be so lonely without me."

"Oh, I don't know," I say teasingly. "I think Lovino's pretty cute when he's not scowling."

"What? No! That Wolf brat's got nothing on me!" the Bear shouts indignantly.

I laugh at how bent out of shape Gil becomes. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" He narrows his eyes at me. "Oh come on! Don't be that way. I love you, and no one else."

"Prove it."

My playful expression falters. Proof? How can I prove something like that? "Um...I think you're the most awesome person in the world?"

"That's weak!" Gilbert says with a huff. "And why did that sound like a question?"

I wrack my brain for anything useful. That's when it suddenly dawns on me. "Hey, Gil?"

"Yeah?"

Neither of us say anything else because our lips are currently occupied. I lean into the kiss, and Gilbert responds in kind. Nothing so far has done a better job of warming me up from the inside out than kissing the white haired Bear. His hand settles on my waist and pulls me closer as our lips dance in unison. My arms wrap around his neck, and a hand makes it's way into his silvery white hair.

His warm breath causes a shiver to go down my spine, and I pull myself closer to him in the process. My head begins to spin a little, either from the lack of air or the effect Gilbert has on my body. Either way, we break for a moment to breathe. The Bear takes advantage of the opportunity to pull me into his lap with his other arm, and he cradles me close.

"You smell awesome," he murmurs against my hair. "Like flowers and sunshine."

"Can sunshine have a smell?" I ask curiously.

"Yes, it smells like you."

"I haven't bathed in a while you know," I inform him.

"I don't care," he growls. "You smell good enough to eat."

I look up at him with wide, fright filled eyes. "You wouldn't really do that," I gasp in mock horror.

"Don't tempt me," is the reply he gives.

"I wouldn't dream of it," I say with a flutter of my eyelashes.

It's enough to make Gilbert give in to his desires, and his lips are on mine once more. This time he wastes no time getting what he wants. His hand tangles in my hair while his tongue asks for permission to enter. Or asks and refuses no for an answer. I shift myself in the Bear's lap so that I have one leg on either side of his torso and press myself closer to him. A low growl rumbles in his throat, which only encourages me further. I snake my hands up his well sculpted chest and into his hair, which makes him shiver with pleasure.

"You have no idea how awesome that feels," he says in a husky voice after we break apart.

"I think I might," I say equally out of breath. A spark still charges the air around us, but it's already beginning to settle down. We sit together quietly for a while and let the silence wrap around us like a blanket.

Gilbert is the first to speak. "You're not the normal kind of beautiful," he says.

My brows scrunch together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's different kinds of beauty, or at least that's what my ma used to say," the Bear explains. "Sometimes it's not about what you look like."

"So, you're saying I'm ugly?"

"No! I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Gilbert pauses to find the right words. "Here, let me put it like this. There was this girl in combat class that all the guys thought was hot stuff. We literally drooled over her."

 

"We?" I ask with an arched brow.

"Kesese, yeah I did too," he admits embarrassedly. "I was dumb back then."

"Who says you still aren't?"

"Quiet, you, or I'll have to make you quiet!" There's no real threat in his voice, but I decide to let him continue his story anyway. "Where was I? Oh yeah! That girl. She was gorgeous top to bottom, but she was the nastiest person I've ever met. Once, one of us guys tried to talk to her. She just laughed in his face and told him to buzz off. That's when what my ma had been saying about girls all made sense."

"I'm still not sure I understand," I tell the Bear.

"Basically what it comes down to is she's beautiful on the outside, but ugly and gross on the inside. You're beautiful on the outside, and just as beautiful on the inside. I've seen you help others before yourself, and be there whenever we need you. That's something rare I've never seen before."

"Y-you...you really think so?" I ask in surprise.

"Yeah...that sounds kind of dumb, doesn't it." He laughs in embarrassment.

"No! Not at all!" I insist. "I think you're beautiful on the inside too!"

Gilbert looks at me with an odd expression. "Except for the part where I'm a guy, and guys aren't beautiful."

"Nope," I say with a shake of my head. "You're beautiful too. There's no denying it."

"C'mon, Lizzie. That makes me sound so uncool!" he whines.

"Too bad," I tell him. He grumbles, but doesn't fight me on it.

I grab Gil's hand and begin to fiddle with his fingers. They're so much bigger than mine that it makes me feel rather small in comparison. I hear him hum a familiar tune and listen quietly from start to finish. He begins to hum it again, and this time I sing along. His deeper voice joins mine on the final verse making the words ring out loudly in the grassy field.

" _The hearts of the meadows_

_The hearts of the trees_

_The hearts of the valleys_

_Are beating for me._

_But I do not hear them_

_I am not alone._

_I am in the place_

_Where you are._ "

 

The words fade away into the wind as it blows across the meadow. I shiver slightly and wonder if we should head back by the others. They might have a fire going, and something warm to eat sounds really good right about now. I open my mouth to suggest it to Gilbert, but he cuts me off with an idea of his own.

"You still haven't finished telling me your story."

I wasn't expecting that. "Do you want me to finish it now?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'd like that," he says with a soft smile.

"Okay, where did we leave off?"

"You were going to tell me about meeting your friend, Kiku," he reminds me.

"Oh, right!" I say. "Well, it all started one night when I was on my way home from combat training."


	33. Runaway Family

It was a tough year for me after I lost Kip. I stopped going to school, and really going out in general. I guess I was afraid that if I got too close to anyone, something awful would happen to them. That's why I only went to combat training for a long time. I didn't see any harm in learning how to fight. Maybe that way I would be able to protect the things that are important to me.

One particularly memorable night, I was walking home from training through some of the richer neighborhoods. The three Territories thrive off of different industries, and the wealthiest Eagles live in the affluent neighborhoods in the Eagle Territory's capital. They are the people who have ownership of the most successful trade routes or production secrets. The Bears use their strength to mine ore and cut lumber. The Wolves use their speed to grow crops and raise livestock. The Eagles use their wisdom to create handy things using the raw materials provided by the other clans. Needless to say there are a lot of wealthy Eagles, but there are plenty of poor Eagles too. I was one of the latter.

Anyway, I was walking home through the rich neighborhoods when something completely unexpected happened. It's an unwritten rule that people with money build walls or fences around their houses. No one seems to notice, but they all do it. I was walking past one of the countless houses when someone dropped down onto the street from one of the aforementioned walls. My first thought was that it's a burglar, but I decided to wait and see what happened.

The figure looked around before standing up straight. It was hard to tell what he looked like since he was partially obscured by the dark. That's when he noticed me and froze. A tense moment passed between the two of us as we waited for the other to make a move. I ended up breaking the silence first.

"I h-hope you're not a t-thief, otherwise I'll have to a-apprehend you," I told him.

"I promise I'm not a thief," the figure said. "Please don't tell anyone you saw me."

"And why should I do that?" I asked suspiciously.

"I-I'm not up to no good!" the figure insisted while waving his hands. "I just...well...it's difficult to explain." He fell silent without elaborating further.

I placed a hand on my training sword in case he would try anything, but he tickled my curiosity too. "I have time."

The figure stepped out of the shadow to reveal a shy, round face with big brown eyes. "My name is Kiku Honda." He bowed. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Honda? Isn't that one of the richest families around?" I asked in surprise.

The Eagle hung his head in shame. "Yes, it is."

"Why are you jumping over the wall of your own house?" My voice was beginning to rise. "What the heck is going on?"

"Please, keep your voice down," Kiku said urgently. "I can explain, but not here."

"You're sneaking out," I realized. An amused grin stretched across my face. "What are you up to?"

The dark haired Eagle looked around nervously. "I would really like to discuss this somewhere else..."

I put up a hand. "Say no more. We can go to my place."

That was the first of many nighttime excursions with Kiku. He described to me his life as the heir of an enormous fortune and his reasons for wanting to get away. In return, I told him about my life as an orphan and the problems that come along with it. I think he envied me a little, and I him.

Later, I came to realize he had it as bad as I did. His parents were cold and distant toward him because they were too focused on maintaining their self image or attending council meetings where they held honorary chairs. The Eagle had about the same amount of parenting that I had. None. At first, I kind of went along with everything as a favor to Kiku, but I soon found myself looking forward to our evening rendezvous. I would even sometimes sneak into his house to hang out with him when he couldn't get out for whatever reason. That's how I ended up meeting his mother.

She was a strict, pinch faced woman that didn't care for anything except herself. I doubt she's changed much since we left. I had snuck into the Honda residence to check on Kiku since he had been sick earlier that week. I hadn't seen him in a few days and was getting worried. Sneaking in was an easy task, but getting out that night was anything but.

I found Kiku in his large bed looking rather miserable. I wouldn't describe him as sickly, but when he gets sick, he gets really sick. This was no exception. The Eagle looked up at me with bleary eyes, but smiled when he recognized me.

"Elizabeta!" he said happily. "You came!"

"Of course I came," I replied. "I haven't seen you in days! It was driving me nuts!"

"Thanks," he said in a stuffy voice. "Mother has been particularly fussy today."

I took a seat on the foot of his bed. I felt kind of bad since I'm sure I was getting dirt on the clean blankets. "At least you have someone to fuss over you."

"How many times must I tell you, Elizabeta? She only cares because I have to carry on the family name. If I had a brother, she wouldn't care about me at all."

"Hmmmm, maybe you're right," I said with a shrug.

The Eagle sniffled. "I am right. Mother doesn't love me."

"Don't get down on yourself, Kiku." I nudged his shoulder with my fist. "You'll never get better if you wear yourself out like that. Don't worry about that crazy woman. That's why you have me."

I offered him my pinky, and he interlocked it with his own. "Thank you, Elizabeta."

"So, you're the one my precious son has been sneaking out to see on a regular basis. I must say, you're much less charming than I imagined."

The two of us turned in surprise. Kiku's mother stood in the entrance to his room like Death itself, only more frightening. She wrinkled her nose at me.

"Who gave street trash like you permission to enter this house?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

I stuck my chin out defiantly. "No one. I let myself in."

"How insolent," the woman murmured haughtily. I tried not to show it, but Kiku's mother terrified me. "You're most likely the reason my son got sick."

I didn't like the way she talked about Kiku like he wasn't even there. "Your son has a name."

"One a common tongue like yours should not be uttering," she said with obvious disdain.

"Isn't that for Kiku to decide?"

"Don't talk about my son like you know him," she hissed dangerously.

"I know him better than you!" I shouted.

"Get. Out." the pinch faced woman demanded. "Get out before I have you thrown out."

I set my face in a defiant look and stood up slowly. Kiku tried to say something as I walked toward the door, but a fit of coughs prevented him from saying a word. It was probably better that way. I gave his mother one last glare before taking off down the hall toward the window I had come through. I tried not to show it, but that woman scared me like nothing else.

I didn't see Kiku for weeks. Things went on as usual, except for our nightly outings. I was starting to think there was something wrong. Most likely it was the Eagle's mother keeping him trapped in that house. It must have unbearable. I continued to wait in front of his house every night in vain for him to appear over the wall. He never did.

I almost gave up on him. My mind would wander through scenario after scenario of what happened to Kiku after I left. His mother might be holding him against his will, or sent him away to live with some distant relatives. The most prominent thought was that I had failed someone yet again. If Kiku was suffering, it was all my fault. I didn't stop going to the wall every night for almost a month.

One night, I was standing at our usual meeting place trying to keep myself from drifting off to sleep. Combat training had been especially tiring that day, or maybe it just seemed that way because I was feeling so down. My head nodded a couple times, so I shook it to clear the sleep from my mind. I let out a sigh and stood up to leave. Just as I did so, something heavy fell right on my head.

"Ow, ow, ow! What the-?"

I never finished my thought because something even heavier fell on top of me next. This caused me to crash to the ground with both objects on top of me.

"What's the big idea?" I shouted at whoever was listening. "Watch where you're chucking stuff! Sheesh!"

"Shhhhh! Please keep your voice down, Elizabeta."

"Kiku?"

The dark haired Eagle did his best to scramble off of me. I pushed myself off the ground and faced him with wide eyes. It was really him. After a whole month he was finally here. He looked around nervously before picking up the bag he tossed over the wall and waved for me to follow him.

"What's the rush?" I asked as we walked. "And what's with the bag?"

"I am running away and never coming back."

"What?" I stopped and stared at him. "What are you talking about, Kiku?"

The Eagle paused a few steps ahead of me. "I can't do this anymore. I have to get away from her before she ruins my life. I don't want to be her pawn anymore, Elizabeta."

I stared at him for at long while. I just couldn't believe it. "You...you would really leave it all behind?"

He nodded. "I want to live my own life. I want to be happy."

"So...you're leaving?"

Kiku looked around uncomfortably. "Yes. I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Can I come?" A shocked expression appeared on his face. "I'm not going to let you go alone. You're my best friend! We stick together."

"Thank you, Elizabeta." He smiled one of the most genuine smiles I had ever seen from him up until then.

We had to stop at my house so I could pack up my few belongings. It was actually pretty difficult to get out of the city after that. Kiku's disappearance had already been noticed, and there were all sorts of people out looking for him. Luckily, the two of us were skilled at sneaking around at night after all of our previous escapades.

The lights of the capital city faded behind us as we ran out of the valley. Once we had gotten a good distance away, we spread our wings and flew south for almost half the night. We were completely exhausted when we landed in a dense forest area inside a distant valley. Flying is taxing enough without carrying luggage. I looked over at Kiku with a tired smile.

"We made it," I told him. I expected him to be just as excited, but that wasn't the case.

"What if this was a big mistake?" the Eagle whispered. "What if she comes after us?"

"Kiku." He turned to look at me with fright filled eyes. "We're gonna be just fine, I promise. No one is going to find us out here, and in the morning, we can keep moving until we find a place we like. It's just you and me now. You don't have to worry about your mother anymore."

He nodded in understanding, but I could tell was still doubtful. I held out my hand with the pinky extended, our usual gesture of trust and comfort. The dark hair Eagle locked his trembling finger with mine. An idea came to me at that moment, and I decided to go out on a limb in an effort to calm him down.

" _The birds in the meadows_

_The birds in the trees_

_The birds in the valleys_

_Are waiting for me._

_But I do not see them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are._

_The winds through the meadows_

_The winds through the trees_

_The winds through the valleys_

_Are blowing for me._

_But I do not feel them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are._

_The hearts of the meadows_

_The hearts of the trees_

_The hearts of the valleys_

_Are beating for me._

_But I do not hear them_

_I am not alone._

_I am in the place_

_Where you are._ _"_

A silence filled the air between us. I didn't realize it until later, but soundless tears were streaming down Kiku's face. It might have been from fear or excitement, or something completely different. I'll never really know. But we were inseparable from that day on. We became the family the other had never known.

 


	34. Border Battle

"You two have been through a lot, huh?" Gilbert says after a long pause.

I relive a little more of the past in my mind before answering. "Yeah, we really have. The funny thing is the more I think about it the more immature I think I was back then." I laugh softly.

"We all were," the Bear says.

I untangle myself from his arms and stand in front of him. "We should probably get back before they start looking for us."

Gilbert smirks and lifts himself from the ground with more grace than I thought he was capable of. He takes my hand, and the two of us head back toward our group's camp. My previous hunch had been correct, and the smell of burning wood and warm soup reaches my nose. Kiku sits leaning over a small fire stirring something in a blackened iron pot. The others watch him with hungry eyes.

"Smells great, Kiku! What is it?" I ask when we get a little closer.

"Well...I'm not sure what it is exactly. I just put in some potatoes and carrots we had, some herbs Feliciano found, and Lovino trapped a rabbit, so we put that in there too." Then Eagle looks up at me with a slight frown. "I'm a little worried about how it will taste."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," I tell him reassuringly. "You're good at this kind of stuff."

"Yeah, Kiku! It smells so good, veeeeee~!" Feli adds.

"We trust your judgment," Ludwig says as well.

A warm smile lights up Kiku's face. "Thank you, everyone. It's ready now if you'd like some."

"Yes!" Gilbert says excitedly. "I'm starving! I can't remember the last time we ate something hot!"

Everyone grabs a spoon and their bowl for Kiku to ladle the steaming soup into. We huddle around the dying embers of the fire as we drink the broth, which seems to warm us to our very souls. It tastes wild and gamey, yet smooth and complex. Somehow Kiku was able to capture the essence of our group in this soup.

"I say we make this our official family food," I say through a mouthful of stewed vegetables.

"Here, here!" Gilbert holds his bowl out for seconds.

"Veeeeeee~! It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside!"

"It reminds me of something our mom used to make."

We all pause mid bite to stare at the elder Wolf twin. This is the first time he's voluntarily shared information about himself, especially something this personal. Even though Feli and I are the only other ones that know about the Wolves' parents' death, the others can sense Lovino's statement carries with it more meaning than the obvious.

"Yeah, Lovi. I think you're right," Feli says with a soft smile. The twins share a look, and the faintest of smiles graces Lovino's face before he spoons more soup in his mouth.

A comfortable silence settles over us as we finish eating. My mind wanders to the task ahead of us. We'll be crossing into Eagle Territory today, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. All of my worst memories are held within the borders of the Territory, but I'm a different person now. It's time for me to face my fears, my mistakes, my past, and win.

My head snaps up when a strange sound floats over the grassy clearing. The others also stop what they're doing to listen. Nothing happens for a long time, and I start to wonder whether I actually heard anything or not. I strain my ears just in case I really did hear something. It starts out low and distant, but an eerie chittering and moaning becomes louder and louder each passing moment.

"Do you hear that?" I hiss.

"No," Ludwig and Gilbert answer together.

The two Wolves swivel their heads to try to hone in on the noise. "It's really quiet, but it's coming," Lovino mumbles. "I'm going to try something."

He closes his eyes and seems to be trying to concentrate. A dark green aura begins to appear around the Wolf, and becomes increasingly more noticeable. His features seem to shift ever so slightly making him look almost feral, and when he opens his eyes, it quickly becomes apparent that he's changed. Instead of his usual greenish hazel eyes, he now has yellower eyes with slits for pupils. Pointed ears twitch as he locates the source of the sound with ease.

"There," Lovino growls. Long, sharp canines gleam as he talks. "A group of something is heading our way. Sounds like there might be close to thirty or forty individuals."

"You can tell all of that by listening?" Ludwig asks in surprise.

"Yeah," the very wolfish looking Wolf answers. He covers his nose with the back of his hand. "I can also tell who hasn't bathed recently."

"Sweet power, wolf boy," Gil says in a teasing sort of way.

"Shut it, unless you want me to shut it for you," Lovino spits back dangerously.

"Now isn't the time. There's something coming, so we need to be prepared." I shift my vision to the energy world. A dark aura hangs in the distance moving steadily closer. "Shadow creatures," I breathe.

Kiku and Feli jump up in alarm. The others look at me in surprise. "Another attack?" Ludwig asks tensely.

"It's hard to tell," I answer. "Either way I'd say lunch is over."

We scramble to prep ourselves for the oncoming horde. Our packs are stored a safe distance away so they won't hold us back in case of a fight. I make sure to grab the spear off my bag before going back to join the others, but as I do so, something odd catches my attention. Up at the spearhead, the wooden shaft has been covered in a gray fur with dark patterns. It reminds me of the wolf statues in the Wolf Temple and the intricately decorated leather wristbands Feli and Lovino have.

"For receiving your second blessing and passing all of the tests..."

The Great Mother's presence comes and goes. A little smile tugs at my lips before I remember why I need the spear. My journey is almost over, but there's another challenge coming my way. The bear claws hanging from my spear clack together as I hurry back toward my friends, and I see they all have their weapons ready. The Bears grip their axes tightly in anticipation, and Kiku has his katana drawn since he used up all of his arrows in the fight against the trolls. Both Wolves display the sharp features of their blessing along with their shining swords.

"They're getting close, Liza," Feli informs me. "I can already see them, but it might be a while until you can."

"Your new powers are pretty handy," I tell him.

"Right? It makes me feel so useful!"

I smile sadly at the Wolf as I remember what took place in the Temple. "Don't say that. You're always useful, Feli."

"Thanks!" he practically beams. "I'm really nervous, but I'm going to do my best! Just wait and see!"

I'm about to say something back to him when his head snaps toward the approaching horde. "They're almost here," Lovino says.

"Defensive positions!" Ludwig calls out. "Summon your spirit animals!"

It didn't even occur to me that Hungary would be useful in this situation. With everything going on lately, I had kind of forgotten about her. Guilt gnaws at my heart as I summon her forth in a burst of flame. She circles above me majestically, like a glowing, flaming halo.

"Hungary, I'm sorry I haven't called on you lately."

"Do not worry, Elizabeta. I see all that you do, and I understand what has kept you busy," her voice says in my mind. "I am glad to be of service now."

"Hopefully this won't be out of our league," I murmur as I watch the large group of creatures approaching. Images of our last encounter haunt my mind.

"Fear not, Elizabeta. Today, we fight as one."

The twittering and groaning has steadily increased in volume as the oncoming horde closes in. I glance quickly at my group and see that everyone has summoned their partners. The creatures halt their march a long stone throw away from us, and everything becomes strangely quiet in an instant as we face off. Our odds are a little better now that it's twelve to forty instead of six to forty, but we still have to be on our toes. The last thing we need is more shadow infections.

Suddenly, a raucous shrieking comes from the mass of shadow creatures, and a large group of them take off into the sky.

"Fliers! Elizabeta, Kiku we need you in the air!" Ludwig roars over the noise.

I don't hesitate to push off of the lush earth and join Hungary in the air. Ugly, gangly Fliers come shooting toward me and Kiku the moment we get off the ground. It takes hardly more than an instant for me to extend my spear, and soon I'm slashing creatures out of the sky. Some dissolve after one blow, but others fall away only to return for more. Hungary streaks across the open sky in a glorious blaze knocking the shadow bats out of the air as she goes.

Kiku fights a few wingspans away with Japan darting at the enemy's eyes. The little peregrine falcon is dwarfed by the Fliers, but that allows him to zig zag nimbly between them and claw at their glowing eyes. Kiku defends himself as gracefully as his partner with his katana slicing creatures neatly in two. I used to worry about my best friend not being able to hold his own, but it's obvious he's quite capable of fighting his own fights. He's come a long way since I first met him.

"Behind you!" Hungary's voice screams in my head.

I swerve midair just in time to see a Flier with its nasty claws extended to slash at my face. There's no time to react. I brace myself for the pain and close my eyes, but it never comes. Nothing happens for a long time, and I begin to wonder if I got hit so hard I lost consciousness. I tentatively open my eyes and see something completely unexpected. Ludwig is hovering in front of me breathing heavily and wearing a worried expression.

"Ludwig? W-where's the Flier?"

"I got it," he says between breaths.

I take in my surroundings and realize all of the shadow creatures are gone. The blonde Bear begins to land, and I follow him. Nobody seems to be injured, in fact, Gilbert, Prussia, and Romano actually look pretty pumped up. The white haired Bear grins at the rest of us as we regroup.

"Nice work, West!"

The younger Bear only grunts in response. I place my hand on his broad shoulder, which seems to take him by surprise.

"Thank you, Ludwig. It means a lot," I say in a soft voice. His dislike for flying makes his aerial rescue more daring than if it were anyone else.

"You're welcome, Elizabeta." He staggers a little, but catches himself on my arm before toppling compete over.

"L-Ludwig?"

"I'll be fine...I just...need to rest," he pants.

"West fought the hardest," Gilbert explains. "He was using his energy the whole time too."

"Ludwig did a good job!" Feli says with a smile. He pats the Bear's back encouragingly. "You're so strong!"

"Thank you, Feliciano." A tight, tired smile lights up Ludwig's face.

Gilbert puts his arm around Feli's shoulder and ruffles his hair. "You didn't do so bad yourself, kid." The Bear looks at me with excitement in his eyes. "You should have seen him, Lizzie. He and wolf boy over there moved so fast you could barely see them! It's like they knew the attack was coming before it came! They were awesome!"

"It's because we could hear and see the attacks coming at us better than before!"

I notice the Wolves' features have returned to normal. Feli laughs happily with Gilbert, and Lovino watches them in shock. He probably wasn't expecting a compliment from anyone, especially Gilbert. His surprise eventually morphs into a smug expression, and he chuckles softly along with his brother.

The spirit animals also talk amongst themselves in a similar manner. I can't understand what they're saying to each other, but I assume they somehow know exactly what the others are trying to say. One by one, they fade from sight as their partner calls them back. I smile at Hungary, who is circling the area happily, and call her back too.

"Looks like everything turned out all right," I say in relief.

I feel someone take a hold of my pinky, and I turn to see Kiku smiling tiredly at me. "We made it, Elizabeta."

"Yeah, we did." I look around to see the others talking excitedly with each other and not paying attention to us. "Are you alright?"

"W-what do you mean?" he asks somewhat nervously.

"Don't hide it, Kiku," I whisper. "I know you're worried about going back, but it'll be fine, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you once we cross the border."

Fear flashes in his eyes, but he pushes it down with tremendous effort. "Thank you, Elizabeta."

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road, kesesesese!" Gilbert shouts. He gleefully wraps his arm around my waist and kisses me right on the lips in front of everyone.

"Mmmmphhhh!" I look around in embarrassment after he lets me go. "Gilbert!"

"Relax, Lizzie! Everything worked out just fine! Now let's finish this thing!" He runs off with a whoop.

"What in the world...?" I wonder out loud.

"He's scared," Ludwig responds.

I look at him oddly. "What do you mean?"

"My brother hides his fear behind excitement. Right now he's still worked up from the battle, but he's using it to hide how afraid he is."

"Afraid of what?"

"Losing you," the blonde Bear says. "He knows we're getting close to the end of our journey, and he knows what that means you have to do. He's afraid of it."

The impact of his words is like an arrow to my heart. It keeps slipping my mind that I have to go to Oblivion again to save Elarium. Go, but not come back. The thought puts a damper on the mood of the group.

"Gilbert's right," I say after a while. "Let's get moving."

We keep walking until the border is far behind us. When the night comes, we sleep to regain the strength spent fighting. The weather continues to be cold and nasty for the next three days. At least we can have fires now because the grass isn't waist high anymore. Eagle Territory is completely different than Wolf Territory. The land rises and falls constantly, but not anywhere near as dramatic as in Bear Territory. Each hill gives way to a valley, which makes the gray sky appear twice as big since the land dips beneath the horizon.

There a feeling of nostalgia growing inside of me as we trek across my native Territory, but one of nervousness too. To get to the Temple we're going to have to go through the capital city, and I know that's something neither I nor Kiku really want to do. Unfortunately, we have no choice because supplies are running low, and the only safe route is through the city.

There are supposedly other paths that lead to the Eagle Temple that don't go through the city, but those go through wild and untamed valleys. Every valley in the Territory is like an island, separate and unrelated to any other. One could be fairly shallow with hardly anything in it, and the next could be so deep that it would be impossible to get through the dense forest that grows there. Several such valleys surround the Temple, except for the valley with the capital city.

"We're close," Kiku tells us one day as we walk through another valley. "Only a few more hills to go."

I also recognize this area, and I'm just as tense as the Eagle because of it. Gilbert notices it too, but doesn't say anything. I never asked him to keep my childhood or Kiku's a secret, but he doesn't ever bring it up when the others are around. It's probably for the best.

A small hill gives way to a much bigger one, and we follow the well worn path to the top. Many merchants and traders have used this road to get to the largest city in Eagle Territory. To me it feels like walking to my own death. So many bad thoughts and feelings cross my mind at the thought of going back. I push them all away by telling myself that we'll only stay long enough to resupply. Nothing can happen in a few hours.

"We're here," Kiku says in a carefully controlled voice. A large valley sprawls in front of us, full of buildings and people. "This is the capital city, Aquilarumni."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin Meanings for Names:
> 
> Aquilarumni: formed using aquilarum nidis (eagle's nest)


	35. Breaking In

Everyone stares in awe at the metropolis before us. Aquilarumni is easily twice the size of Monteurbem, and probably three times as busy. Merchants and traders from all three Territories come here to make deals, sell wares, and form partnerships. Many have found their fortunes, and others have lost everything. It's all a big gamble. Our reason for coming here isn't monetary, but to me it seems like we're gambling something far more important. A sense of foreboding follows me as we enter the city.

"It hasn't changed at all," I murmur. Familiar streets and buildings fill my view, and I wonder if the same people still live in some of these places.

"That's what makes me nervous," Kiku whispers from beside me. "Something should be different, right?"

"It'll be fine, Kiku," I say back to him. "We'll just grab some stuff and leave."

"I hope so..."

We walk quickly toward the main shopping district with me leading the way. I keep my eyes open for any trouble. The last thing we need is to cause a commotion and have the whole city aware of our presence. I doubt there would be anybody walking around that would recognize Kiku, but they might remember me. That could cause us a delay, which makes our chances of being discovered go up. The less people see us, the better.

I lead our group to a store I know is reliable for low prices and decent quality. Ludwig and Lovino go inside to bargain and haggle for supplies while Feli and Kiku keep watch from the door. Gilbert and I sit on the roof for a better vantage point and possible surprise attack spot. We can't be too careful.

"How's he holding up," the Bear asks me with a nod at Kiku on the ground below.

"He's nervous," I answer, "but I think he'll be okay. The sooner we get out of here the better."

"I told West about Kiku. I thought since they're friends it would be okay." He smiles at me apologetically. "I don't know if I was supposed to keep that a secret..."

"Well, I never said you had to, but I think we can trust Ludwig with that information," I say thoughtfully. "What did he say?"

"He was surprised to find out that Eagle kid is actually rich," Gilbert says with a laugh. "But he agreed that we should get out of here fast."

"I'm glad he does." My nervousness starts to gnaw at me again. "I feel so exposed just sitting here. I want to leave as soon as possible."

Gilbert puts an arm around me and plants a kiss on my cheek. "Don't be such a worrywart, Lizzie. We'll be outta here before sunset."

I turn my head and kiss him softly on his warm lips. "I hope you're right."

"Liza! Gilbert!" Feli's face suddenly appears in front of us as he hovers in midair. "I don't know what happened! I only looked away for a moment, Liza, I swear! I don't know where he went!"

My stomach drops to my feet as I process the Wolf's words and panicked expression. "Where's Kiku?"

"I don't know! I'm so sorry, Liza! It was only a moment! I'm sorry!" He looks like he's going to burst into tears.

"It's okay, Feli. It's not your fault," I tell him reassuringly. I do my best to remain calm even though all I want to do is run around screaming for Kiku. "We have to tell the others."

The three of us drop to the ground. "You don't think it was his mom, do you?" Feli asks in a small voice when we land in front of the store.

I whirl around to stare at the Wolf in confusion. "How do you know about that?"

"Ludwig."

I turn to glare at Gilbert. "H-hey," he says with raised hands. "I never told West to go blab about it."

"It doesn't matter," I sigh. "We just need to tell Ludwig and Lovino before we do anything."

"Tell us what?"

The Bear and the Wolf look at us searchingly from the doorway of the store. "What's going on?" Lovino asks.

"...Kiku's missing," I say.

"What?" Ludwig roars. "I thought Feliciano was supposed to be with him!"

"I-I was..." the Wolf stutters. "I t-turned around for j-just a l-little bit, but when I-I turned back around he was...g-gone."

"You were probably flirting with girls again, weren't you!" Lovino accuses his brother.

"N-no! It wasn't like that!" Feli looks crushed.

"Leave him alone!" I shout at Lovino. "It's not your fault," I tell the younger Wolf twin for the second time. "But we're wasting time talking. We need to get to the rich neighborhoods now."

"Why?" Lovino asks with a confused expression.

"I'll explain on the way."

We soon find ourselves standing in front of the same wall I met Kiku all those years ago. The large Honda residence looks peaceful and quiet, but there's no knowing what's going on behind those stone walls.

"So I'm the only one that didn't know about this?" Lovino asks rather grumpily as we survey the area.

"Well, technically, no one else was really supposed to know either," I say and shoot a dirty look toward the blabber mouth Bears. "It's too late to be worried about that now. Looks like you were all going to find out anyway."

"What's the plan?" Ludwig asks in a hushed voice.

"We break in and get him out," I answer. "There's no other way."

"What if we get caught?" Feli looks around nervously.

"We'll wait until it's dark to give us some extra cover. Hopefully, we'll be able to sneak in and out without being noticed. Worst case scenario, we fight our way out."

"He might not even be here, Lizzie," Gilbert whispers. "What do we do if he isn't?"

"There's nowhere else he could be," I insist. "He's here, I know it."

"Alright, I trust you."

I nod at the Bear gratefully. "Now, we wait."

It's a lot easier said than done. I'm so anxious to rescue Kiku that I nearly drove myself insane trying to wait. The trees around the Eagle's house gave us plenty of cover as we watched the sun sink lower in the sky. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in the house the whole time. We did see some servants walk past a window at one point, but nothing else.

At last, the crescent moon shines in the black sky, and we set our plan in motion. Everything goes smoothly, and we open a large window wide enough to let a few of us slip in. Ludwig and Feli are the designated lookouts for us since this will be our only means of escaping the house once we have Kiku.

"Good luck," Feli whispers as we sneak further into the house.

We pad noiselessly down the hall toward Kiku's room. I still remember the way as clearly as the night his mother caught me sitting on his bed. I peek around the corner to make sure no one will see us approaching. Two guards stand in front of the Eagle's door with fancy looking armor and spears. This confirms that Kiku is indeed being held inside. I turn to my other two companions.

"I need you two to take out the guards and keep watch while I get Kiku," I whisper. They both nod in acknowledgement.

The Bear and Wolf dart out from around the corner like two bolts of lightning. The two hit the guards before they get a chance to figure out what's going on. Gilbert punches one in the face while Lovino roundhouse kicks the other in the side of the head. Both lose consciousness and crash to the ground.

"Crap," Gilbert mumbles. "You're going to have to hurry, Lizzie. There's no way someone didn't hear that."

"I'm on it."

I try the handle to Kiku's room, but it's locked. This had been anticipated, so I whip out my two silver throwing knives from my boots and begin picking the lock. It would be a lot easier if I had an actual lock pick, but this will have to do for now. I furrow my brows in concentration and wiggle the blades around in the keyhole.

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Lovino asks impatiently.

"I've done this before," I snap. "It's not that easy!"

"Could you go any faster?" Gilbert asks anxiously. "I think there are more guards coming."

"I'm going!" I hear the lock click, and the door swings open with ease. "Keep everyone out until I get Kiku!"

I run into the room to grab the Eagle, but pause when the room is empty. The bed looks completely untouched, and the thick layer of dust coving the rest of the furniture is undisturbed. It looks like no one has been in this room for years.

"Kiku?" I call. There's no answer.

It doesn't make sense that the guards would be watching over an empty room. He has to be here somewhere. My eyes land on a door on the opposite wall. Sometimes when I came to visit Kiku, he would be hiding in his closet because his mother was being unbearably fussy. I walk toward the door and open it halfway.

"Kiku?"

Again no answer comes, but I see the small, shaking outline of someone behind a pile of clothes. I open the door a little more, and Kiku's wide eyed face appears in a patch of light. He looks up at me with fright and stares at me in disbelief.

"Elizabeta? No, that's impossible," the Eagle murmurs to himself. "It would seem I've finally gone crazy."

"Kiku, it's me!" I insist in a loud voice. "C'mon, we have to get out of here! We don't have much time."

He looks at me with a confused expression. "But there are guards. Mother said she hired guards."

"We took care of them already! Now we gotta get out of here before more show up!"

Kiku finally seems to realize that I'm not a figment of his imagination and stands up. "Elizabeta! You're really here!"

I smile in relief. "Yeah, it's me. Let's get going now, okay?"

He steps out of his closet and gives me a brief hug. "Where is Mother?" he asks after letting go.

"I don't know, I haven't seen her," I tell him with slight impatience. "Hopefully, it'll stay that way."

"Lizzie! They're coming!" Gilbert shouts from the doorway. "We gotta go, now!"

"Let's go!" I shout and push the Eagle toward the door.

We run out of the room to see Gil and Lovino take out another guard. Several other guards lay unconscious on the floor. Our group members look up as we approach them and wave for us to hurry.

"This is the second group they've sent up," Lovino informs us. "There's going to be a lot more here soon so we need to get going!"

Just as he says that, another group of guards show up and start yelling at us to stop. We ignore them and round the corner. It sounds like a whole herd coming after us, and I realize we're never going to make it with them on our heels. I slow down my pace, which causes the others to stop as well.

"You guys keep going! I'll hold them off!" I shout at them. Kiku looks like he's about to say something in protest, but I cut him off. "I'll be fine! The important thing is to get you out!" I turn around and draw my silver long dagger to face the oncoming guards. "Take care of them, Gilbert!"

"Got it!" he shouts back as he ushers the others ahead of him. "Don't take too long, Lizzie, or I'll have to come back for you!"

"Don't worry about me," I growl dangerously as the guards arrive. A fierce anger boils inside me. I can't forgive these people for being a part of Kiku's kidnapping. I summon Hungary and have a secret satisfaction as the guards flinch from her flames. "Bring it on," I call to the guards.

"Gladly."

The armored men part for a regal woman to walk past them. She glares down at me past her pinched nose with steely, onyx eyes. The gaze sends ice down my spine, and Hungary shifts nervously in reaction to my sudden tension from her perch on my shoulder.

"I see you're still causing trouble for me and my son."


	36. Breaking Out

"You know this girl?" one of the armored guards asks.

"I've had the misfortune of meeting her before," Kiku's mother replies. "I make a point not to interact with street rubbish."

The guards laugh nervously. I, on the other hand, do my best to hide my terror. The mere presence of this woman saps the strength from my knees. Hungary eyes the pinch faced woman with disdain. She shifts her footing on my shoulder and ruffles her reddish feathers impatiently.

"Do not let her get to you, Elizabeta," my partner warns. "You are stronger than she is."

Kiku's mother seems to notice the phoenix for the first time. "The elders informed us of your...change in spirit animal alignment, but they did not say you could manifest one." Her expression turns to one of scorn. "You're not worthy of such a majestic creature. You agree, don't you?"

I flinch away from her words. Somehow this woman knows exactly where to prod to expose a weakness. Years of playing politics must have honed this ability in her, and she's very aware of it. A sharp smile appears on her lips.

"Yes, I know all about you. Anyone that is on the council knows. Moving from family to family because you are a misfit, a scourge on society, it's pathetic." Her smile fades. "And then you stole my son from me."

"H-he ran away!" I exclaim. "From you! He hated you!"

"Don't act like you know my son!" she shrieks, the mention of failure on her part sending her into a frenzy. "You filled his mind with silly ideas! You two!" She points to the two guards at the front of the pack. "Get her!"

The two armored men run toward me, but they're stopped by tongues of scorching red flame. Hungary beats her large wings to create more fire, which pushes guards further back.

"I can't hold them off like this forever," she tells me. "The house will catch fire. You must fight."

"I...I don't know..."

"Be strong, Elizabeta," the phoenix says in my mind. "You are capable of winning this battle. You must overcome your fears."

She stops fanning the flames and folds her wings back. We make eye contact, and she fades away. An encouraging warmth pulses from the tattoo on my chest, and I know it's her trying to encourage me. The guards charge once more as soon as the flames die away. Their spears give them a longer range, but they're limited by the space in the narrow hall. I easily slip under their weapons and knock the first unconscious with a hard kick to the head. The other whirls around to face me, but I've already aimed a blow to his nose with the handle of my silver dagger. It connects and sends him stumbling backward. One last kick to the chest drops him to the ground.

I face the pinch faced woman with a new determination. I'm done being afraid of her intimidation. There are worse things that I'll have to face than a controlling mother.

"You've changed," she murmurs thoughtfully. "Never mind. I will have you tell me where my son is."

"He has a name," I practically spit at her.

"I have no interest in repeating old conversations," Kiku's mother says in a no nonsense voice. "I know my son's name, I gave it to him myself, but it's not one to be used by just anyone. He is a member of the elite class, and should be treated as such."

"Kiku is a person! He should be allowed to make his own choices!" I shout.

"He is too young to make his own choices! That became clear when he ran away with you."

"Because of you," I say accusingly, dangerously. "You made him miserable-"

"I did what was best for my son!" A hint of insanity shadows her features. "I was going to make him the greatest Honda this family has ever seen!"

"That's not what he wants," I tell her. "He doesn't care about money or position."

"I am his mother! I know what he wants, not you!"

"Mother?"

I whirl around to see Kiku standing behind me and Gilbert running after him. "I'm sorry, Lizzie!" the Bear pants. "He wouldn't...leave...without you. He ran back here...when I...wasn't looking."

"See! My son would rather be here than with riffraff like you!" the woman practically shrieks. The armored guards shift nervously at the new arrivals. Kiku's mother glances at them. "You're all dismissed. Your services are no longer needed."

"What about our payment?" one of them asks.

"You and you men hardly performed the task I hired you for," she tells him. "You will be payed, but the payment will be reduced by half."

"That's not what we bargained for!" Unhappy murmurs come from the other men.

"I said, you are dismissed."

"Not until we get our money!"

The situation suddenly takes a turn for the worse when the guards decide to take matters into their own hands. They lower their spears and point them at Kiku's mother. The woman backs away, but keeps her chin up defiantly.

"It would be a shame to have to get our weapons dirty," a man in front says. "I suggest you pay up."

"I refuse."

Everything next happens so fast it's hard to follow. The guard raises his spear to attack the wealthy woman, and at the same time, a dark blur rushes past me too fast to see clearly. A loud crash of metal colliding rings in the air. Kiku stands in front of his mother with his gleaming katana raised to ward off the armored guard's attack. Silence fills the air as we all wait to see what happens next.

"I advise you all to leave before I personally show you out," Kiku tells the guards in a flat voice.

The men exchange looks, unsure of what to do. Kiku takes advantage of their indecision to deftly twists his weapon to disarm his opponent. This makes up the guards' minds, and they leave without another word. The Eagle lowers his katana and carefully sheaths it.

"I knew it. I knew it!" the pinch faced woman says triumphantly. "You would rather be here with your family than with those ruffians!"

Ever so slightly, Kiku edges away from the woman. "I'm sorry, Mother, but I cannot stay here."

"What?" The crazed smile on her face falters.

"What you said is true. I would like to be with my family, but you are not my family." He turns to look at me. "Elizabeta is my family, as well as Feliciano, Ludwig, and the others."

"You would choose them over your own mother?" The woman turns her angry gaze at me. "You brainwashed my son! You've taken him away from me!"

"Elizabeta hasn't done anything!" It's unusual for Kiku to raise his voice, and it seems to startle her. "It was my choice to leave! I want to be in charge of my own life! I want to live how I see fit, not how you or Father think I should!" He sounds confident, but he's shaking with fear. He's never stood up to his mother like this before.

The woman's face morphs from shock to anger. "You ungrateful disgrace! Is this how you repay my love?"

"It was never love," Kiku replies. "Love for your status and power, perhaps, but never for me. You never loved me."

"Get out of my house," his mother growls.

"Gladly," I say. I grab Kiku's hand and pull him away from the pinch faced woman. "Let's go."

Gilbert runs along side us as we head for the open window. The other three are waiting for us with worried expressions. Feli smiles widely when he sees us coming, and the other two relax. We jump out the window, and our group takes off into the night, ready to get as far away from the house as possible.

We decide to leave Aquilarumni that very night. "No point in putting it off," Ludwig had said. I couldn't agree more.

The moon is high in the darkness above us, which means we have at least half the night left to sleep. Ludwig, Gilbert, and Feli put up our tents once we reach a clearing a safe distance from the capital city. The last thing we need is for people to find us. Lovino is on first watch, and Kiku and I sit together under a tree in silence.

"The Eagle Temple is only a few days away," I say after a while. "We're almost done." The Eagle just nods, and I give him a sideways glance. "What's wrong, Kiku? I know there's something on your mind."

His big brown eyes flicker to me for a moment before focusing on something in the distance. "She told me to leave."

I was afraid of this. Kiku has always turned away from his parents, but they've never turned away from him. How is he going to handle this rejection? "It's alright, Kiku. You've never needed her anyway. Not once did she have your best interest in mind. It'll be just-"

My pep talk is drowned out by the sound of him laughing beside me. It's starts off quiet but quickly increases in volume until he's shaking from head to toe.

"It's over." He says between fits of laughter. "It's finally over! She finally let me go! I'm free, Elizabeta! I'm free."

I can almost see the chains of guilt and shame unshackle themselves from the laughing Eagle. His expression is carefree and undaunted for the first time since I've met him. He's faced his personal demons and won. The sounds of his laughter fades away, but his vibrant smile does not. I feel his pinky link with mine and I hold onto it tightly.

"I'm glad, Kiku. I'm glad."

He closes his eyes and leans back against the tree contently. I envy the peace he must be feeling right now. One of the Eagle's biggest challenges is over, but mine is yet to come. My mind wanders to the progress I've made in my journey, and the tremendous task still ahead of me.

An eerie cackling fills the air and echoes off of the trees surrounding this clearing. Shadows seem to converge in one spot and rise from the ground to form a solid figure. Kirkland's red eyes mock me from beneath his cloak's hood. I try to jump to my feet, but my body refuses to respond.

"Hello, love. Fancy meeting you here." The shadow handler takes a few steps in my direction. "Getting yourself into more trouble I see."

"What do you want?" My body might now work, but my mouth seems to move just fine.

"I want nothing more than to make you suffer," he answers nonchalantly, as if he answers in this way all the time.

"Go ahead and try," I challenge.

"Be careful what you wish for, love." Kirkland waves his hand in front of his face. When he pulls it away, Kiku's face stares back at me from under the hood. "I can hurt those closest to you."

My eyes widen in horror as the shadow man takes on another face. This time it's Ludwig's. "I can exploit every fear and weakness you possess."

I blink, and he's wearing Feli's face. "I can crush every speck of happiness in your soul."

Kirkland looks away from me, and when he looks back, it's Lovino staring at me. "I can sever your bonds of family and trust as easily as tearing a blade of grass."

I try to avert my gaze from the terror in front of me, but my head still refuses to move. The shadow handler snaps his fingers, and his entire form takes on a new shape. One moment I'm looking at him, the next, I'm staring horrified at Gilbert.

"Do I scare you love? Good," Kirkland says. The words are his, but the voice is Gilbert's. He takes a few more steps until he's directly in front of me and crouches down to eye level. "I can rip your heart apart. I can make you watch the life fade from his eyes a hundred times until you beg for death yourself. I can break you beyond repair."

I scream. I close my eyes and screech as loudly ask can. Whatever it takes to stop the words and images from filling my mind. Something grabs my shoulder, and I jerk away from it in fear.

"D-don't touch me!" I yell. My eyes fly open on instinct, and I see Gilbert still crouched in front of me. I quickly slap my hands over my ears so I won't have to hear any more of his poisonous words. "Stop it! Leave me alone!"

"Lizzie!" Gilbert pulls my hands away from my head. "What's the matter with you, Lizzie?"

I stop struggling and stare at him in confusion. "Y-you're not Kirkland?"

"No," the Bear says with a shake of his head. "You fell asleep sitting here. It must have been a dream."

"Just a dream..." I murmur in relief. I lean my head back against the tree and laugh in a soft, tired sort of way. "Just a dream."

Or was it? My head snaps back up at the thought. Ever since I started this quest my dreams have never really been my own. I can't even remember the last time I dreamt about something that didn't include someone invading my private slumber. It's possible it really was Kirkland despite the fact I was dreaming.

"Lizzie."

"Hmmm?" Gilbert's voice pulls me out of my own thoughts.

"You look like you could use some sleep. Come on." He pulls me to my feet and kisses my lips gently. I want it to last longer, but fatigue forces me to pull back before I fall asleep in his arms. "Let's get you to your tent. Kiku's already inside."

The Bear helps me walk to my small tent. I murmur a quick goodnight punctuated by another kiss before slipping inside. The interior of the tent is already warm from Kiku's presence, and I feel my consciousness slowly slipping. A blanket has already been laid out for me, so I quickly slip under it and huddle next to the sleeping Eagle. My breathing slows and my mind wanders. Images and sounds from the dream replay themselves as my thoughts grow hazier and hazier. One phrase plays repeatedly until it feels as if it's been permanently ingrained on my mind.

"I can make you watch the life fade from his eyes a hundred times until you beg for death yourself."

The voice is so real that it feels like it's being whispered into my ear. Suddenly, all the sounds and images stop, and I'm allowed to be blissfully enshrouded by the calm of sleep. My slumber remains thankfully dreamless that night.


	37. Fallen

My group spends the next two days walking away from Aquilarumni, and we never looked back. The Eagle Temple is in a deep valley about three days from the capital city, so we're almost there when we run into a bit of a roadblock.

"What the heck is this?" Lovino cries in a rather frustrated voice from the top of a hill. He's ahead of everyone, so it takes a while for the rest of us to join him.

"Woah," Gilbert breathes.

"Veeeee~! I've never seen anything like this before," Feli says in amazement.

"It's going to be a pain to get around," the elder Wolf grumbles.

"We could always fly," I suggest.

Ludwig surveys the valley and sighs unhappily. "It looks like we'll have to."

A gigantic valley stretches in front of us as far as we can see. This is one of the largest basins we've come across yet, and it appears even more impressive because the whole thing is filled with water. Clear, gentle waves lap at the earthen shore in front of us, otherwise nothing else moves. A fine mist skirts over the surface of the immense lake and makes the whole valley feel darker and secluded.

"It's so...quiet," I whisper. I almost flinch from my own voice, as if it could shatter the stillness around us.

"It's pretty," Feli breathes with a peaceful smile on his face.

"I feel a little sad looking at it." We all silently agree with Kiku's statement.

There's something about the lake that makes us want to sit quietly and do nothing but think of the past. It's like looking at tombstones. The headstones themselves are beautiful, but it's still a sad thing to look at.

"We should probably keep moving," I say after a while. "We want to reach the Temple before nightfall."

"Leaving so soon? What a pity."

I jump in surprise and look around for the source of the voice. There's no mistaking it as Kirkland's, but the shadow handler is nowhere to be seen. Like me, everyone else is searching for him as well. Gilbert takes a protective step closer to me, and I can feel his breath shift strands of my pale hair.

"Why do you all look so alarmed?" Kirkland's voice rings out over the quietly rippling surface of the lake once again. "You don't have anything to fear this time, I promise."

"As if your promises mean anything, bastard," Gilbert growls.

"Over there," Kiku says in a low voice.

He's pointing at a spot in the middle of the lake where a shadowy looking figure appears to be standing on the water. The figure, presumably Kirkland, begins to walk toward us, and I feel Gilbert tense. Hostility and disgust practically radiate off of him as he grips the handles of his axes tightly.

Kirkland steps onto shore and pulls his hood back to reveal his grinning face. "I wouldn't recommend going after your weapons if you know what's good for you."

"Like I care what you think, uber brows." The Bear silently draws his axes and takes a defensive stance.

Kirkland's collected expression falters for an instant, but is quickly checked back into a mask of cool confidence. "It's not nice to make fun of someone, especially after they gave you some sound advice," he says with a smirk.

"I could care less about being nice to scum like you."

"That's a shame because now I don't feel bad about doing this."

All of us, except Gilbert, spin around to stare at the shadow handler, who is now standing behind the Bear. I never saw Kirkland move. He was standing in front of us one moment, then standing behind Gilbert the next. I would be more shocked by this if it weren't for the gleaming black sword piercing the Bear's abdomen. We all stare in horror as the clothing around the blade begins to turn red. The axes fall out of Gilbert's hands, and he makes a sound like a strangled gasp for air.

"See? This is why you shouldn't make fun of people," Kirkland purrs.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Ludwig already has his large axe in hand and charges the shadow handler faster than I thought possible. He swings the double sided axe right at Kirkland's head, but it never connects. Instead, it slices empty air and buries itself into the earth behind Gilbert.

"Is that all you've got?" Kirkland stands a few steps away from his previous position, but I hadn't seen him move there. He smiles wickedly. "Now it's my turn."

The shadowy man rips his black blade out of Gilbert with deliberate roughness and slashes it across Ludwig's chest before any of us can react. Blood wells from the deep wound, and the blonde Bear just stares at it as if transfixed. He drops to his knees, then keels over to join his brother, who has also fallen to the ground.

My hands cover my open mouth as a horrified gasp escapes me unbidden. "Anyone want to go next?" Kirkland asks lightheartedly.

"I will." Kiku steps forward with his katana drawn. "I cannot stand by idly as you harm my friends, especially after all they've done for me."

"No, Kiku! You ca-"

"Too late! He volunteered," Kirkland practically sings. He jumps high into the air and uses the downward momentum to strike the Eagle with his dark blade. "You've sealed your fate!"

Kiku raises his sword defensively and fends of the blow. Immediately afterward, he counterattacks with a flick of his wrist and a spin. The katana slashes through the air and hits Kirkland right in the face.

"You have a nice technique," the shadow handler says. The blade of the katana doesn't seem to have sliced his gray skin at all. "Too bad mine's better."

He knocks the sword out of a shocked Kiku's hands and deftly grabs it before it hits the ground. In one fluid movement, Kirkland points the sword at the Eagle and impales him with his own blade. Kiku's eyes glaze over and he crumples to the ground.

Tears prick at my eyes and threaten to spill over. Three of my companions have fallen, and I haven't been able to do a thing to prevent it. I roughly swipe at my eyes and reach for my spear so I can make Kirkland pay for what he's done. Before I'm able to pull it out, Feli steps forward with his sword pointed at the shadow handler. It's a bold move, but the blade is visibly shaking.

"I-I'm not going t-to forgive you for hurting my friends!" Feli shouts.

"Don't be an idiot, idiot!" Lovino calls to his brother. "Get back here before you get hurt!"

"No! I'm tired of running away!" The Wolf stares at Kirkland with determination. "I'm not backing down now."

"Your courage is admirable," the shadowy man says in amusement. "But is it enough to save you?"

He slowly walks towards Feli, who is still trembling. The Wolf tightens his grip on his sword and swings at Kirkland once he steps into range. Kirkland easily dodges the blade and the swings that follow. It becomes obvious that he's just toying with Feli, but it's too late to do anything about it. The shadow master's hand darts out as quickly as a snake and grabs the curl poking out of the Wolf's hair.

Feli drops his weapon after Kirkland gives the curl a sharp tug. "Interesting," the shadowy man muses.

"You ugly no good piece of crap!" Lovino bellows. "Get your slimy bastard hand off my brother!"

"And if I don't?" Kirkland goads.

"I'll make you pay!"

The elder Wolf rushes at the shadow handler, and draws his weapon as he does so. In the blink of an eye, Kirkland's black sword flashes, and Lovino comes to a halt a few steps after he passes the red eyed man. Blood pours out of a gash in his side, and he collapses without another word.

"Lovi!" Feli tries to go to his brother, but Kirkland's hold on his hair curl prevents him from going far.

"So, you want to join your brother?" the shadow master says with a sharp pull on the Wolf's hair. "Why didn't you say so?"

Kirkland stabs Feli with his sword so quickly that I didn't see it. All I see is the shadowy man pulling his weapon out of the Wolf's still body. That leaves me as the last standing member of my group.

"Would you like to take a turn, love?" Kirkland asks with a bow. "It was rather ungentlemanly to not start with you, dear. After all, ladies first."

"You...you're a monster," I whisper.

"You're going to have to speak up, love."

"You're a monster!" I scream so loudly that it echoes around the lake.

"Thank you," Kirkland replies with a smirk. "I work very hard to uphold that image you know."

"How-? Why-? How could you?" I shriek. I don't wait for his answer, instead I run to Feli, who is the closest, and begin healing him.

"I wouldn't bother with that, love."

"Shut up!" I growl through clenched teeth.

"No, really." Kirkland places a hand on my shoulder to get me to stop, and I slap it away.

"Don't touch me with your blood soaked hands, monster!"

"Elizabeta! Stop it already! You're wasting your energy!" Kirkland shouts. "They're not hurt, just look."

"What are you talking about? I just watched you-"

My voice trails off when I look at the place Feli got stabbed. There's nothing there. Sure enough, I glance at Lovino and his wound is gone too. Nobody seems to have any of the injuries I saw Kirkland inflict on them.

"What did you do?"

The shadow handler smirks. "Just demonstrating my power. Unlike your group, I have reached my maximum capacity for power. I am at my peak! I'm stronger now than when I faced the Great Mother all those years ago!" A wild light seems to appear in his glowing red eyes. "I just came to talk, but that obnoxious prick had to go and get on my nerves, so I had to teach him a lesson. I didn't think they'd all want to have a go."

"So...they're going to be okay?" I ask hopefully.

"Yes, yes," Kirkland answers with a wave of his hand. "They'll be just fine. Probably won't wake up for a while though. I had to convince their minds that they got hurt." He notices the surprise on my face, and his smile widens. "That's right, love. I was controlling their minds. Yours included."

"You said you came to talk," I say to quickly change the topic before he gets any ideas. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Ah yes, that. I came to tell you that I'm at full power now and I'm ready to fight at any time." I jump to my feet and back away from him, which makes him laugh. "I'm not going to fight you now, love. That wouldn't be any fun. The main reason I came here was to tell you that I'll wait until all of you have received your blessings and other such nonsense before I wage all out war on you."

"How considerate of you," I say with sarcasm and contempt.

"Isn't it? I'm quite the gentleman."

"Obviously."

Kirkland must have started to pick up on my bitterness because his smile fades into a scowl. "You won't be so cocky when I enslave you and all of your friends."

"That would require you winning first," I say with narrowed eyes.

Rage flashes in the shadow handler's eyes at the suggestion that he would lose. "Just you wait, love. I have a special torment awaiting you."

Thoughts of his words from several nights before cross my mind. _"I can make you watch the life fade from his eyes a hundred times until you beg for death yourself."_ I push the words away and set my face into a cold, emotionless expression.

"Screw off."

"With pleasure." Kirkland snaps his fingers, and nothing remains where he once stood except a faint cackle.

"L-Lizzie?" I whirl around to see Gilbert trying to get off the ground. "Lizzie? Where are you? I swear if that shadow bastard touched you..."

I hurry to his side and help him sit up. "You'd what?"

"I'd split him open from gut to chin."

"Well, that's a lovely image," I joke.

"It's not funny, Lizzie!" A fire rages in the Bear's crimson eyes. "If anything were to happen to you..."

"I know," I whisper softly. "I would be lost without you too."

Without warning, Gilbert pulls my face towards his and kisses me desperately. I kiss him back and hope that he can feel all of the worry I felt when he fell to the ground. My lips burn as if they're on fire from kissing Gilbert, but I can't stop because kissing him is the only thing that will quench the flames. He pulls back all too soon and looks deep into my eyes.

"I love you. You know that, right?" He searches my eyes for an answer.

"Of course I know, and I love you too, Gil." My racing heart skips a beat.

We don't speak any more for a while, but words are unnecessary at this point. The Bear holds me close to him as we wait for the others to wake up. I try to imagine what kind of things they must be dreaming about right now, if they're dreaming at all. Something starts tugging on my hair, which pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn my head to see Gilbert collecting my hair in his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see," he answers in a low voice. "Just keep facing forward."

I sit silently while he does whatever he's doing. It doesn't feel like much more than him tugging on my hair here and there, but eventually I can feel it start to tighten at the base of my neck. A little while after that my hair starts to feel heavy, like it's being coiled together.

"You better not be tying it into a knot," I say over my shoulder.

"Have a little more faith in me, Lizzie," Gil grumbles. "It'll go a lot faster if you quit moving around!"

Patience and sitting still are not my strong points, but I do my best to do both while I wait for Gilbert to finish whatever he's doing. I hear him mumble something to himself in frustration, and then there's a mysterious ripping sound. He fiddles around with my hair a little more before he's done and lets it go. Oddly, it feels like a thick rope is hanging down my back, and it moves whenever I turn my head.

"What did you do?" I ask as I try to crane my head around to see. "It feels funny."

"I braided it," the Bear explains proudly. "Here, take a look." He hands me my long hair, which he has somehow managed to weave together like a rope and tie off at the end. "Pretty awesome, huh?"

"How did you do that?" My eyes widen in amazement.

"Kesesese. Well, there were some girls who knew how to do this at school. I asked them to teach me so I could show West how to do it with grass and string and stuff. He's better at it than I am."

I look at the unconscious blonde Bear in amazement. I never would have guessed he could do something like that with such big hands. "Wow. No one ever taught me stuff like this."

"I was thinking its time to wake them all up now," Gilbert says as he stands up. "You can keep that bit of cloth to tie your hair with if you want."

At the mention of the cloth, I look at my hair to see that it's been tied off with a strip of deep red cloth. Probably from the Bear's cloak. "Okay, thanks. How are you planning on-"

"Up and at 'em! Your beauty rest is over, kesesesese!" Gilbert stands in the middle of everyone and pounds two metal pots together. He must have grabbed them from someone's pack when I wasn't looking.

A dark figure looms behind the white haired Bear, and his hand darts out to grab Gil by the collar. "What do you think you're doing, you stupid Bear bastard!" Lovino yells as he mercilessly shakes Gilbert back and forth. "Quit making so much freaking noise or I'm going to clobber you and make you eat these stupid pots!"

"Sounds like things are back to normal," I murmur to myself.

It takes a while for everyone to fully get their bearings. I have to take a few moments and explain what happened from the beginning to the end since some people were unconscious for more of it than others. No on is particularly pleased to find out Kirkland is ready for an all out battle, but we agree that it's a good thing nobody is injured. I don't think I could have healed so many severe wounds at once.

We decide to fly over the lake as soon as everyone is feeling up to it. The faster we get to the Temple the better. Nothing else unusual happens as we soar over the faintly rippling water. I can see my reflection on the surface as I ride the wind, and I can't help but remember my reflection from the Wolf temple. There must be some of those odd creatures in this lake creating these reflections too.

The opposite shore becomes larger and larger as we get closer to it, and I'm grateful to be on the ground again when we land. There's just something about flying over water that makes me uncomfortable. Probably that whole thing where I can't swim. I smooth down some of my gold feathers that got a little ruffled while we were flying, and a couple of them fall out.

"Oh no, Liza!" Feli exclaims. "Did the shadow guy get more of your feathers?"

"No, nothing like that," I quickly reassure him. "I'm probably going to start molting soon. No biggie."

"Okay, I'm glad you're fine." He smiles happily at me.

I return his smile with one of my own. "I'm glad you're okay too." An image of the Wolf being stabbed makes my breath catch in my throat.

"How close are we to the Temple?" Ludwig asks me in his deep voice. It startles me.

"Oh! Uh, close. It should just be past those hills." I point to a group of three hills in the distance.

"Alright," the Bear says with a nod. "It's getting late, so we'll make camp once we reach the top of the last hill."

"Great, more walking," Lovino complains, but he's the first one up and moving.

I didn't notice how dark it was getting until now, and it continues to get darker as we hike up the hills. Clouds obscure any light from the moon, and no stars are visible, except through occasional holes in the gray blanket covering the sky. I can hardly see more than what's a dozen steps in front of me, but I keep pressing forward nonetheless.

Once again, Lovino is the first to reach the top of the final hill, but unlike before, he doesn't say anything. I'm the next to reach the top, and it's not what I was expecting. The darkness keeps us from seeing the Temple.

"Where is it?" Feli asks once he reaches the top. He's the last one to get there of course.

I look up into the sky to see a small sliver of moon peeking out from a gap in the shifting clouds. "Just wait a moment," I instruct.

Little by little, the gray blanket moves enough for the moon to illuminate the landscape in front of us. The deepest valley in all of Eagle Territory becomes bathed in silver light, and a majestic building on the other side seems to glow ethereally.

"The Eagle Temple," I breathe in awe.


	38. Eagle Temple

"Have you ever been here before?" Ludwig asks.

"Uh huh," I answer with a nod. "A while ago when I lived in the capital. Kiku's been here once before too, right?" The Eagle nods in affirmative.

The clouds silently float back over the crescent moon, and the Temple disappears in darkness once more. Silence settles over the group as if brought on by the sudden cover of blackness. I ruffle my wings quietly, which makes me realize how tired my body is.

"We should set up camp," I say eventually. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a break."

"I agree," Ludwig says. "It's been a long day." A hint of bitterness colors the Bear's deep voice, and I imagine he must be thinking about today's previous events.

It's been rough for all of us, but I decide to help Kiku put up our tent instead of dwelling on the topic any further. The Eagle lays the thick, water resistant material on the grass covered ground and begins to put in the wooden poles. I grab a few of them and start slipping the poles into their place in the tent. Loose rope dangles from the corners of the tent, and I use my foot to pound the staked ends into the ground.

"Thanks, Elizabeta," Kiku says once we finish.

"No problem." I stand up and stretch my aching muscles. "Time for bed."

"Not until I say goodnight." Gilbert wraps his arms around my waist and nuzzles his face into the back of my head near my ear.

"Mmmmm," I sigh. "Goodnight, Gil."

"Goodnight, Lizzie," he replies in a low voice. "You should wear your hair like this more often. It's nice."

I turn myself around to face the Bear. "That means you have to put it up like this for me."

"With pleasure." He leans in and claims my lips. The kiss lasts for only a moment, but I could spend an eternity with my lips pressed against Gilbert's. "You should get some sleep," he says after we break apart.

"Okay," I say a little reluctantly. "I'll see you in the morning."

"You can count on it." Gilbert kisses my forehead, then releases me to go to the tent he shares with his brother.

I watch him go until a big yawn forces me to close my eyes. It must be a sign for me to go to sleep, so I slip into my tent. Kiku turns to look at me as I settle under a thick blanket. I turn my gaze to the Eagle and smile.

"We're almost done, Kiku. Are you ready?"

"Yes...and no," he replies. "I am ready to fight, but..."

"But what?" I ask curiously.

"But I'm not ready for what happens next."

"Oh, that." My thoughts turn to Oblivion and my role to defeat Kirkland. "Yeah, I don't know if I'm ready either."

The Eagle gropes for my hand in the dark, and I help him find it. Instead of linking pinkies as usual, we just hold each other's hand tightly. My eyelids flutter closed, and I focus on my breathing and the warmth of Kiku's hand in mine. I begin to fall asleep, but someone whispers something softly before I do.

"This is it." I never figure out if it was Kiku or my imagination.

I wake up fairly early the next morning and exit the tent without disturbing the sleeping Eagle. A light fog hangs in the air, but it begins to burn away in the bright sunshine. It's one of the few sunny days we've had in a very long time. Most days the sky has been covered in a thick cloud cover, which is rather unusual, even for this time of year. Despite the clouds, it never rains or snows. It's just dark.

The unusual sunlight helps to boost my spirits, and I'm ready to face whatever challenge the Eagle Temple might have.

"I'm glad to know you will take my Temple seriously."

I gasp in surprise and turn to see a tall woman standing next to me. Her head is covered in a sort of hood that looks like an eagle's head, and short, chin length black hair frames her pale face. Feathers ranging in color from white to brown to black cover the woman's skirt, which shines in the light. Her dark eyes are piercing, as if they can see things not visible to others.

"Aquimatri," I breathe.

"Yes, I do go by that name," the goddess says. "And you are Elizabeta, the champion of the Great Mother."

"Y-yes." I salute her nervously. Her confidence and regality intimidates me.

"I have come to thank you for bringing my child safely here." The goddess's gaze softens. "He has not had an easy life, but neither have you. I am glad to have been your patron goddess for a portion of your life, for without you, I am afraid Kiku would never have had the chance to choose."

"To choose what?"

"His life," she says simply. "He would not have been able to exercise his wisdom and justice, the crowning virtues of being an Eagle. You have given him that chance, and for that I am grateful."

"You're very welcome. I am grateful to have been a member of your Clan." I salute her again.

"Your companions are about to wake up, and you must join them," the Eagle Mother informs me. "I will be waiting."

My eyes fly open, and I find myself back in my tent. I sit up and look over at Kiku, who is beginning to stir. He stretches and blinks his eyes several times before focusing them on me.

"Good morning, Elizabeta." White vapor forms as his warm breath makes contact with the cold air. "It's cold this morning, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." I crawl out of the tent without another word.

Thick clouds cover the sky, and my breath appears in white puffs in front of me. The sunshine must have all been a part of my dream. Disappointment weighs heavily on my heart at the thought. I miss the warmth of the sun on my skin.

"Are you alright, Elizabeta?" Kiku has joined me outside of the tent.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for just running out like that."

"Woah! Is that the Temple! Awesome!" Gilbert has joined the two of us on top of the hill.

The whole valley is now visible, unlike the night before. This valley is the deepest in all of Eagle Territory, and it probably isn't even accurate to call it a valley. It looks more like a chasm or a canyon, like the earth had torn itself apart to reveal the Temple as it's shining jewel. Some people say that's how it actually came to be.

"I've heard of the valley referred to as 'the Sky Basin' because it appears as if the earth is cradling the sky," Kiku tells us. "It is truly magnificent."

"Is everyone ready to go?" I ask. I'm itching to get moving.

"Yeah, looks like it," Gilbert says. He gives me a quick peck on the forehead before leaving to help his brother finish putting away their tent. "I'll be back in a bit."

It doesn't take too long for us to pack up and eat a quick breakfast. I chew without thinking, and the food has no taste. Being so close to the end of our quest makes me anxious. We finish our meal and figure out the best way to get to the Temple. Walking is definitely out of the option since the bottom of the valley isn't even visible from this spot, so flying it is.

Ludwig and I are the last to take off from the hill. The Bear watches everyone else twist and turn in the air tensely. I wait for him to take off, but he doesn't move.

"Ludwig, it's going to be fine," I say encouragingly. "There are lots of updrafts that'll keep you up. There's nothing to worry about."

He glances at me briefly. "Thank you, Elizabeta." The Bear takes a hesitant step toward the deep valley. "I can see why my brother likes you so much." He gives me a gentle smile. "I wish that someday I could have called you my sister."

Without another word, he pushes off the ground and joins the others in the sky, leaving me on the ground with my mouth hanging open. I've never been particularly close to Ludwig, but his words leave me wishing that I could call him my brother too. This, we all know, is not a possibility.

"C'mon, Lizzie! We're going to leave you behind!" Gilbert calls. His white wings seem to glow, even in the dim light.

"I'm coming!" I shout back and take off into the gray sky.

We all land on the front steps of the Temple relatively at the same time. White pillars stretch up to the high overhang above our heads, and stairs lead to an arched doorway. I lead the way to the top taking the stairs two at a time. A bald man in a blue robe waits in the doorway for us. He bows, and we salute him back in our respective ways.

"Welcome, champions of the Great Mother. I welcome you to the Eagle Temple," he says with a gentle but stern voice. "I am Atticus, head priest of the Eagle Mother."

"Thank you for meeting us," I say politely.

"It has been many years since I've seen you, Elizabeta."

"You know who I am?" Surprise threads its way into my voice.

"It is unwise to forget a face," Atticus says with a small smile. "I also remember your companion, Kiku."

"Tis an honor, sir," Kiku says with another bow.

"Please," the head priest waves the formality away with his hand. "The honor is mine." He steps aside and gestures with his hand. "Time is short, and you must be on your way. Please come inside."

We follow Atticus inside the magnificent Temple. Beautiful iron chandeliers hang from the high ceiling, but the candles remain unlit. The entryway opens into a large room full of natural light streaming in from colored glass windows, although it would appear much more grand if there was more light coming in from outside. A large stone alter stands in the center of the room with two large candelabras on either side of it, and a tall statue of the Eagle Mother behind it. Other than that, the room is empty of furnishings of any kind.

"Do you feel anything?" I ask Kiku.

"I...I don't know..." He looks around the large room. "I...there's...something about those candles."

I follow him to the iron candelabras by the alter. The Eagle peers closely at the candle holders. It becomes apparent that there's one extra spot on the holder on the left than the holder on the right.

"It's not balanced," I say.

"Exactly," Kiku agrees with a nod. "We should fix it."

He reaches out and tugs on the extra candle holder. Nothing happens at first, but after another pull, it snaps off with a clean break. A loud rumbling fills the room, and a doorway appears behind the goddess's statue. The wall sinks down to reveal a candle lit staircase.

"Wow, good job, Kiku!" Feli says excitedly. "Let's goooooo!" He takes off down the stairs.

"Wait up, idiot!" Lovino follows his twin.

"Here we go," I sigh. "Thank you again," I say to Atticus.

"I wish you much luck, Elizabeta." The head priest nods in my direction.

I smile and follow the others down the stairs. It goes on for quite a ways, but eventually opens up to a plainly decorated room. The one thing that stands out is a polished silver balance. It sits on a stone ledge with eight keys in front of it. Each key is uniquely different and varies in size.

"What is all of this?" I ask no one in particular.

"Some kind of puzzle," Gilbert answers. "I can't make heads or tails of it, but the Eagle kid seems to think he knows what to do."

"What is it, Kiku?"

"It's basic logic," the Eagle says. "Read this inscription above the table."

"' _Thrice and thrice only before certain doom awaits you.'_ ," I read out loud. "What does that mean?"

"It means something bad will happen if we use the scale more than three times," Ludwig explains. "Thats all we know for sure."

"Why do we need the scale?"

"Read what's on the ledge," Kiku instructs.

"' _Size and shape make no difference, but the lightness is the answer._ '" I look at the Eagle in confusion.

"I think it means the lightest key is the one we need to get through that door." Sure enough, there's a door with a keyhole to the left of the stone table.

"So, let's just weigh them all," Lovino suggests.

"We can't. The scale can only be used three times, but there are eight keys," Ludwig says.

"Argh! This makes my head hurt," Gilbert growls in frustration.

"There has to be an answer," I murmur.

Silence settles over us as we try to come up with a solution. Kiku reaches out to pick up a key, but Ludwig stops him. "Are you sure you know what you are doing?" the blonde Bear asks. "We only have three chances."

"I am fairly confident," Kiku replies.

He picks up half of the keys with one hand, and the rest with the other. One set of keys gets placed in one cup of the balance, and the other in the opposite. The scale tips back and forth for a few moments but eventually settles with the right cup slightly higher than the other. Kiku removes the keys from the left side and sets them aside.

"I understand," Ludwig says with a nod. "The keys on the heavier side do not contain the key we are looking for because they are too heavy."

"Precisely," Kiku tells him and smiles. "Sometimes I think you should have been born an Eagle, Ludwig."

"He's too hotheaded for that," Gilbert whispers in my ear, and I giggle.

I watch as Kiku takes the four lighter keys and splits them in half. He places two on each side of the scale, which tips to the right this time. The Eagle sets aside the heavier two and picks up the lighter keys. Then he places one on either side of the balance. The silver instrument tilts back and forth, seemingly unable to make up its mind. It finally decides that the key on the left is lighter than the one on the right.

"This is the one," Kiku announces as he picks up the long brass key.

"What happens if it's wrong?" Feli asks nervously.

"I assume whatever would happen if we use the scale more than three times," the Eagle answers.

The turns to face the door and reaches it in three quick steps. We follow close behind. Everyone holds their breath as Kiku inserts the key into the keyhole and turns it with a faint click. Nothing happens.

"It's safe," he announces, and we all sigh in relief.

"Good thing we got this wiz kid here or who knows what would have happened," Gilbert says as we walk through the doorway.

"It's too soon to celebrate yet," Lovino warns.

The doorway leads to a second room that is slightly bigger than the last one. Unfortunately, this room doesn't have conveniently placed keys for us to use, or a door with a lock. The door doesn't even have a handle. It's impossible to discern how we're going to get out of this room.

"Welcome, champions of the Great Mother," a disembodied voice greets. The sound bounces around the chamber eerily. "You have reached your second test, which is a trial of wisdom and justice. Answer my riddle and you may pass."

"Okay, we're ready as we'll ever be," I say.

 

_"Wisest of the wise_

_Keeper of light_

_Dispelling ignorance_

_With truth's insight_

 

_Wisest of the wise_

_Keeper of equity_

_Vanquishing injustice_

_Is your specialty_

 

_Wisest of the wise_

_Hear two mothers' plea_

_Each once round with child_

_But only one there be_

 

_Wisest of the wise_

_What is one to do_

_When both women  make a claim_

_But there is one child not two_

 

_Wisest of the wise  
_

_Make your answer clear_

_How can one tell the truth_

_Behind the problem here."_

 

"Anyone have any clue what the heck is going on?" Gilbert asks anyone listening.

"I think I know what the riddle is asking," Ludwig replies, "but I have no idea what the answer could be."

"Well, let's hear it," Lovino demands impatiently. 

"The first part is similar to the riddle in the Bear Temple. It's purpose is to illustrate the most prized virtues of being an Eagle, which are-"

"Wisdom and justice," Kiku finishes.

"Yes, wisdom and justice," Ludwig repeats. "The last part is the actual riddle itself. It sounds as if there are two women who both claim one child as their own."

"So, the question is how do we figure out who the real mother is?" I ask.

"More or less," Ludwig tells me.

"How do we figure out something like that?" Lovino grumbles.

"Maybe we could ask the child," Feli suggests.

"No, I don't think we can." Kiku shakes his head. "The riddle said something about the women being round with child, which means the child they're fighting over can't be much older than an infant."

"Oh..." The Wolf looks disappointed.

"Don't worry, Feli." I put my arm around him comfortingly. "Gil and I don't understand this much either."

"Hey! Don't assume that I don't get it!" the Bear complains.

"Well, do you?"

"Erm...no..." he admits.

Feli and I laugh, much to Gilbert's chagrin. We quickly stop goofing around so the others can concentrate on solving the riddle.

"I...I think I know the answer," Kiku says softly.

"What?" the rest of us say at the same time.

"Um...well...the best way to determine the real mother would be...to...cut the baby in half."

My mouth drops open, and so do several others. "Y-you're not serious?" Gilbert asks in shock.

"No, I am," the Eagle insists.

"Why, Kiku?" Ludwig questions. "Why would that be the answer?"

"Here, let me explain it like this." Kiku points to the blonde Bear. "Pretend you are the real mother. You wake up one day to find your baby missing." He points to Gilbert. "Pretend you are the fake mother. Your baby died and you stole the other mother's child to replace yours."

"What are you getting at?" the white haired Bear asks curiously.

"Now, if I propose to cut the baby in half, how would you react?" Kiku asks Ludwig.

"I would tell you to do anything but that," he answers. "Give the child to the other mother if it'll spare the child's life."

"And what would you say?" Kiku asks Gilbert.

"Well, since I stole the baby I would be happy with the other mother's choice to give me the baby," he says.

"Exactly."

"I see!" I say excitedly. "The real mother would never allow her child to be cut in half! That's how you would know!"

"An answer that is both just and wise," Ludwig says with a nod.

"Is that your answer?" The disembodied voice echoes around the room again.

"Yes, it is," Kiku responds confidently.

Nothing happens for a few agonizing moments. "You may pass, wisest of the wise," the voice eventually says.

A collective sigh fills the air as the door on the other side of the room swings open. Kiku leads the way through a dimly lit passageway. It leads deeper into the Temple in a straight path. We pass through a tall arch into a spacious white room. The walls seem to produce their own light because there isn't any other visible source of illumination. A single statue of a larger than life eagle stands in the middle of the square room.

While I'm looking around the immaculate room, something very subtle seems to shift out of place. It's like time itself has stopped. I turn around to see everyone except Kiku frozen in place and colored in only shades of gray.

"This happened in the Bear Temple too," I say softly. "That can only mean-"

"Yes, you've completed your tests." I spin on my heel to see the Eagle Mother standing in front of the eagle statue. "Your skills are very admirable, my child."

"T-thank you," Kiku replies since the compliment was obviously meant for him. He bows respectfully to his patron goddess.

"I could not have chosen a better champion to represent my Clan, and it is important that you understand that. Do not forget that you are as good as two from the other Clans as in the legends of old."

"I-I will do my best," the Eagle promises with his head slightly bowed.

"Speaking of legends." Aquimatri turns briefly toward the statue behind her and removes a beautiful blue gem from the bird's beak. "Show me your relic."

Once again, I had completely forgotten that Kiku has an ancient artifact too. He holds out his right hand to reveal an intricately made silver ring on his middle finger with a spot that would fit a small jewel the size of a pea. The Eagle Mother just so happens to be holding such a gem, which sparkles with its own mysterious light. She places the blue stone into its spot in the ring, and it shines brightly before fading back to its dim glow.

"With this gem I give you my blessing," the goddess says. "As an Eagle you are endowed with superior sight in matters of knowledge and equity. My blessing will enhance that sight beyond the capability of other mortals."

I rummage around in my pack until I find a rather wrinkled copy of the legend. ' _In the valleys, the single eagle was blessed with foresight_ ', I read to myself. What could that mean?

"You will know in due time," the Eagle Mother says as if reading my mind. "I have said all I have come to say. May fortune smile upon you, champion of the Great Mother, Protector of this land, and may you be successful in your trials yet to come, my brilliant child."

A faint hint of a smile graces the goddess's lips for the first time, but when I blink both she and her smile have disappeared. So has Kiku for that matter. I find myself alone with the eagle statue waiting for something to happen.

"You have finally done it, Elizabeta." The Great Mother steps out from behind the stone statue. Her golden hair flows around her as she walks toward me, and her violet eyes shine with excitement. "I am so proud of what you have achieved."

"Thank you," I say as I salute her. "My journey isn't complete yet though."

A small frown appears on the goddess's face. "No, I suppose you are correct, but you have made it quite far nonetheless." Her expression takes on a more serious quality, and I prepare for her to tell me something important. "I am here to bestow upon you your last blessing from me, and this one may prove to be far more important than the last two."

I nod. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Very well." The Great Mother places her hands on my shoulders. "I grant unto you the power of light. You must use it as a weapon against the shadows if you ever hope to succeed."

A shock runs through my body as if I've been hit with lightning. "How does this power work?" I gasp.

"Like this." A vision fills my mind of a blade made of light being held in my hands. "That is how this power manifested itself in me. Perhaps it will not be the same for you."

"I'll do my best with it," I tell her. It sounds more like I'm trying to convince myself of that instead of her.

A soft look appears in the goddess's eyes. "I know you will. You have not let me down thus far, Elizabeta." Suddenly, the ground starts to shake beneath our feet. "I don't have much time left," she says hurriedly. "I have one last message for you before you must awaken."

"O-okay," I shout over the rumbling.

"You must be yourself. Remember who you are, the people around you, the feelings in your heart. You cannot win without them."

I'm about to ask her what she means when something crashes to the ground beside me. A large hunk of white stone has fallen from the ceiling and lays crumbled at my feet. Smaller bits of stone begin to rain down on top of me making it hard to see. I notice something dark moving around in the empty spaces where the ceiling has already collapsed, but before I can identify it, a large section of glowing stone dislodges itself and falls straight toward me.


	39. The Final Battle

I sit up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. The ground still shakes slightly underneath me, but I'm no longer in the deepest room of the Temple. That would explain why I didn't get crushed by a huge piece of stone. Feli's the first to notice that I'm awake, and he rushes over to hug me.

"Liza!" he says with relief. "We were worried when you wouldn't wake up, and then the ground started shaking."

"Don't worry about me. I'm okay," I reassure the Wolf. He lets go of me and helps me up onto my feet. "What's going on?"

"We don't know," Gilbert answers. He comes close to me and takes my hand in his. "It started up not long after we all woke up here."

"Honestly, we were hoping you would know what's happening," Ludwig interjects.

I shake my head. "No, I have no clue." The ground suddenly heaves, and there's a loud crashing sound from outside. "Whatever it is, it can't be good."

The rumbling seems to intensify, and we run outside to see what in the world is going on. We're partially blocked by a pillar that had fallen over and covered the bottom of the Temple's entrance. It's easy enough for us to hop over, but it explains the sound from earlier. The first thing I notice when we make it outside is how dark it's gotten. Thick, ominous clouds prevent any kind of light from filtering down below, and a gray haze covers everything like a fluffy down. It's enough to obscure the peripherals of my vision, but I can see through it easily enough.

"Everyone move!" Kiku shouts urgently.

We all jump away just as another pillar falls right where we were just standing.

"Woah," Gilbert breathes.

"How did you know that, Kiku?" Feli asks.

"Well...um..." The Eagle seems to struggle to find an answer. "I can't say for sure how I knew. I suppose I just saw it happen before it did."

"Since when can you do that?" Gilbert questions.

"Since the Temple," I reply for Kiku. "Your gift. It's the gift of foresight, as in seeing the future."

"Veeeeee~! That's so cool!" Feli beams.

"That would've come in handy a lot, like, a long time ago," Lovino mumbles.

I shoot him a warning glare. "Be nice. Kiku just saved your life."

"Yeah, I guess so," the elder Wolf twin mumbles.

Another crashing sound in the distance catches all of our attention. It echoes around the deep valley like a rumble of vicious thunder. I can't tell what that sound was or where it came from, but the Vargas brothers are already working on pinpointing its location.

"It came from over there." A light green energy radiates off of Feli as he points to the right of the Temple.

"It's big," Lovino adds, surrounded by darker green energy. "Whatever it is, it's big."

"What is it?" I ask as dread pools in my stomach.

"I...I think it's a big group," Feli says with wide eyes. "It sounds like a lot of feet marching."

"That's probably what's causing the ground to shake," the elder Wolf concludes.

"We need to leave," Kiku pipes in suddenly. "We have to go somewhere else before they get here or we're all doomed."

"Go where? What are you talking about?" Ludwig asks in confusion.

"I saw it, like I saw the pillar. We need to go somewhere more open or they'll trap us in the Temple."

"Who?"

"The shadow army. That's what's coming."

We take Kiku's advice to ditch our packs and fly as fast as we can toward another valley, one that is open and free of anything too obtrusive. The two Wolves use their power occasionally to keep us updated on the army's movements.

"They're getting close," Lovino warns as we circle over the valley we've chosen as our battleground. "I don't like the sound they're making."

I look at him quizzically. "Why? What's wrong with it."

"It's too loud," he says as we land. "Either the army is full of those trolls from before, or there's hundreds or even thousands of creatures coming right for us."

My stomach drops sickeningly at his words, and I turn to Kiku for confirmation. "Is that what you saw?"

"I didn't get a clear image," the Eagle admits. "It was all very hazy. All I know is that we were going to be trapped if we stayed at the Temple."

"They're almost here!" Feli calls out. "I can smell them!"

"It smells like death," Lovino murmurs and wrinkles his nose.

The earth continues to bounce and shake under our feet, and it grows in intensity as the army comes nearer. Gilbert stands next to me holding my hand tightly. I glance up at his tense face, and his eyes flicker toward me in response.

"I've got your back, Lizzie," he says reassuringly.

"I know," I tell him. "And I've got yours."

The Bear's grip on my hand tightens. "No matter what, I'll protect you." He turns his face to kiss me softly. Hungrily. Desperately. "I love you, Lizzie. Always."

"I love you too, Gil." I'm thankful for the rumbling that's grown in volume because it masks my voice cracking with emotion. I don't want Gilbert to feel worse about what's to come than he already does.

The words barely pass my lips when the first shadow creatures could be seen marching into the valley we had chosen as our battlefield. Gilbert releases my hand to draw his axes, and I follow his lead. The ancient spear extends in my hands. A dark feather hangs off the end by a leather cord similar to the bear claws. It flutters in the gentle breeze that had started blowing about the same time the shadows arrived.

My little group condenses closer together for a sense of security. This army is not like anything we had ever faced before. Walkers and Crawlers surge toward us in a massive horde followed by dozens of shadow Trolls. On top of that, a thick cloud of Fliers swarm in the air above the encroaching army, almost as innumerable as the creatures on the ground.

The entire mass of shadow creatures stop a good distance away from our pathetic little circle. My ears ring slightly from the sudden silence as the rumbling finally stops with the army's halt. Creatures part out of the way for a cloaked figure that is walking toward us. Kirkland didn't spare any expenses for us. His usual dark clothing have been replaced with cruelly gleaming armor. It radiates a freezing aura, as if touching it could suck all the life and warm from my body. I recognize the sword swaying at the shadow handler's hip as the one he used to cut down my friends only yesterday. At least I think it was yesterday.

"Well, here we are, love," Kirkland says addressing me. His voice rings out around the silent valley. "Ready to give up yet?"

"Never," I respond as calmly as I can. I don't need my companions knowing how terrified I am.

"You're horribly outnumbered," he argues. "They say a wise man learns from his mistakes, and I would say I have learned from mine. I've decided not to hold back this time, so I created an army one hundred times larger than the one I had when I faced that meddlesome goddess all those years ago."

"One hundred times..." Ludwig repeats in disbelief.

"There are easily thousands of them," Lovino murmurs as he uses his power to scan the formidable force facing off against us. "We're no match against an army like that."

"Indeed," Kirkland agrees with a smirk. "You should give up now before any of your friends get hurt. You wouldn't want to have their blood on your hands, would you, Elizabeta?"

The shadowy man's words shake me to the core. Hopelessness and despair weigh heavily on my soul, and I feel like I'm drowning. How can I ask my friends to fight a suicidal battle? My eyes dart around looking for something, anything that can help us make it out of this alive.

"No final words?" Kirkland asks in a mocking voice. "Shame. Now I'll have to come up with quotes for your graves."

He's about to signal for his army of shadows to advance when the deep, clear sound of a horn echoes around the expanse of the valley. The horn is joined by many more of varying pitches, and soon it sounds like we're surrounded by trumpeters.

"What is that?" Kiku asks no one in particular.

"It sounds like they're coming from behind," Lovino informs us. "We're completely surrounded."

I'm about to let myself give in to my misery when I notice the look on Kirkland's face. He looks just as confused as us by the odd trumpeting, and even a little distressed. For the most fleeting of moments he appears almost scared, but it passes so quickly I might not have actually seen it.

"What kind of silly tricks are you playing?" he asks accusingly.

"No tricks, Shadow Commander," a loud voice booms. A huge, hulking man wearing something that looks like a boar's head stands at the the top of a hill looking down into the valley. "The guardians of the mountains have come to fight against you, Dark One."

A large group of rather odd looking people join the man at the top of the hill. They're all very thickly built and have a wild look about them. Some are covered in animal skins, and others seem to have rocks or earth embedded in their skin. The man who spoke, presumably their leader, leads the wingless company down into the valley to stand with me and my companions. Several creatures that I can only describe as golems also join us.

The leader approaches me and nods. "I am Uluganda, god of the mountain boars. I speak for the other guardians of the mountains, and we have come to lend you, champion of the Protector, our strength. We view this as an opportunity to make up for not coming to the Great Goddess's aid when she fought the Dark One the first time."

"T-thank you," I say, completely blown away.

A wild cry pierces the air, and we all turn to see a shaggy looking man standing on the same hill. "Don't steal all the spotlight, Uluganda. You're not the only one here to save the day," Kor says with an impish grin.

He and a large number of the forest spirits, including the unusually large stags, come streaming into the valley. They mingle with the spirits from the mountains. Some greet one another good-naturedly while others glare with obvious dislike. Kor approaches me and gives me a warm hug.

"We've come to help you out, Elizabeta," he says with a wink.

"Thank you," I say gratefully. "I'm glad you're all doing alright." A familiar group of fairies flutter around my head and vie for my attention. "Hello there. I'm glad you're okay too," I tell them with a smile.

"You are as brash as always to try to upstage me, Korinth-Natali," the boar god growls.

"I had to do something to check the swelling ego of the ones who thought they could have all of the glory, Uluganda-Ati," the forest god shoots back. Great waves of dislike radiate off of both of them. "As do you, we have a debt to repay as well."

Their conversation is disrupted by the dull pounding sound of some kind of drum. We turn once more toward the top of the valley to see another large group of people coming to join us. This company is made up of thin, wiry creatures who appear to be normal except for their hair. All kinds of grasses and flowers grow atop their heads in every shape and size. Some of the men have their hair just as long as the women, and many of both genders have braided it into a long rope of grass. A few very strange looking things follow closely behind this group. Slouching grass men is the best way to describe them since they appear to be make of nothing but plant material.

A tall woman with long, lush grass growing out of her head disengages from the group to speak with me. Her eyes shine with energy and silent power while her long silky robes sway around her as she steps gracefully.

"I salute you, champion of the Great Goddess," the woman says in a commanding voice. "I am Pascaline, one of the guardians of the plains. I have been chosen to speak for the guardians and to pledge ourselves to your cause. We wish to make amends for our cowardice in not aiding the Protector when she called one thousand years ago. Our strength is yours." She nods to me and the other gods.

"Thank you," I reply.

"So, you are Pascalineith-Zimtini," Uluganda says with a wry smile. "I've heard many things about you and your followers."

"Uluganda-Ati," she says with more than a hint of condescension in her voice. "I had always imagined a man who speaks so highly of himself would have a great stature to match." This silences the god, who has turned an angry shade of red. Kor just winks at Pascaline, and I wonder to myself if there's something going on between the two.

I don't get to explore that avenue of thought because a loud hissing fills the air. Long, watery looking dragons crawl down into the valley and are quickly followed by a company of interesting people. Some of them look like the forest spirits except more aquatic. They have blue or green eyes with random patches of blue skin and water loving plants growing out of their wet hair or worn as clothes. The other group of people don't seem to have a definite form. They keep changing in appearance, and I realize they're mimicking the spirits around them. They must be the creatures that create reflections in water and mirrors. One in particular looks pointedly at me and adapts my face. The smile it wears is so familiar that I feel with assurance that it has to be the one from the Wolf Temple.

The group parts to let a short girl pass, and she skips over to me happily. "I'm Rin," she says as she shakes my hand energetically. Her hand feels cool and wet against my skin. "I'm in charge of the guardians of the river! We came to help you and the Great Goddess!" I open my mouth to say something, but the girl has already hopped away to talk to the grassland goddess. "Hi, Pascaline! I'm glad you made it!"

"Hello, Rintalia-Ina. You arrived later than I expected."

"It's not my fault!" the little girl pouts. "I would have left sooner if we didn't have to wait for the mirror creatures from the Temple. They wouldn't take no for an answer!"

The goddess's words are cut off by a shrill whistling noise. A huge company led by two very different looking people join our growing army. The group is made up of spirits that are semitransparent and spirits that have very dark, earthen looking features. The somewhat transparent people have large stallions that appear to have gusts of wind for manes and tails, and the other people have with them creatures made of dirt, mud, and sand.

A path is cleared for the two leaders, and they approach me with measured strides. The first to speak is one of the see through spirits, and her voice is gentle like a summer breeze. "I am called Talika, and I speak for the gods and goddesses of the air. We will fight for you to repay the Protector for her sacrifice."

"I am Groglikta-Savindalat," says the other spirit. He has dirt covering every visible inch of him, and sand pools at his feet and moves ever so slightly like it has life of its own. "I am here on behalf of the guardians of the valleys, and as Talika-Yerta said, we are here to fight with you and defeat the Dark One."

"Thank you," I say to the two in front of me. I turn to face all of the gods and goddesses. "Thank you all of you."

"How touching," Kirkland spits with narrowed eyes. "Instead of making me hunt all of you down, you cowards have made it easy for me to exterminate all of you at once."

"Do not underestimate us, Shadow Commander," Pascaline warns in a dangerously calm voice. "We may have been frightened once, but we will not make that mistake again."

"Yeah!" Kor agrees enthusiastically. "We're going to make you pay for what you've done to our homes!" A roar of approval erupts from the army around me.

"Well said, Korinth-Natali." Everyone turns to see the Bear Mother entering the valley with a large group of fierce looking bears.

"T-the Strong One!" Uluganda gasps in surprise. "We we're not expecting you."

"Do not appear so surprised, Uluganda-Ati," the goddess says with a glimmer in her eyes. "I could not pass the opportunity to teach that shadow whelp a lesson."

"You and me both!" The Wolf Mother appears on the hill and joins us in the valley with a pack of sleek wolves. "But I was hoping to beat you here. Looks like you one upped me this time, Urmatri."

"We welcome you, Swift One," Pascaline says with the utmost deference. "We are honored by your prescience."

"Hi, Lumi!" Rin shouts excitedly. The little girl waves, and the goddess returns the gesture.

"I see everyone is present and accounted for." The Eagle Mother comments as she enters the valley followed by a cloud of eagles of all kinds.

"Look who showed up late in her own Territory," the Wolf Mother teases.

"There is a difference between being late and having strategic timing, but you, Lumatri, are the last person I would expect to understand that."

"Hello, Wise One," Talika greets. "Thank you for gracing us with your strength."

The goddess nods in acknowledgement. "I am pleased to see you and Groglikta-Savindalat here, Talika-Yerta. You have represented the Territory well."

"So, the mighty Aquimatri finally makes her entrance," the Bear Mother says teasingly. There's also the smallest bit of disdain laced in her voice.

"I would not expect you to understand my methods, Urmatri." This causes the Bear goddess to fume silently.

"I think what she's really trying to say is that she ran into some problems, and that's why she's late," the Wolf Mother cuts in. "There's no way she'd be late to a battle happening in her own Territory."

The Bear and Wolf Mothers give the Eagle goddess pointed looks. She tries to maintain her composure, but it's obvious Lumatri hit the nail on the head. "I'm glad to see you two finally agreeing on something." The Eagle Mother's face softens as she says this.

"As heartwarming as this is, I'd really like to begin massacring all of you now," Kirkland says rather impatiently.

"You never were one for patience, Kirkland," Urmatri calls out almost mockingly. Her comment earns some uneasy laughter from our forces. "An insolent pup like you does not deserve a fearful reputation such as the Dark One."

"We'll see who's laughing when I impale all of you and let the corrupted earth drink your blood."

"Perhaps you should say a few words to the troops, Elizabeta," the Eagle Mother suggests. "Before we go to war."

"W-what do I say?" I wasn't prepared for this.

"Whatever feels right," the Wolf Mother says encouragingly. "We're all behind you."

I slowly turn to face what I've come to think of as the Forces of Light. They look at me expectantly. Some seem awed by my presence, and others seem unsure of me. I'm unsure of myself too. This is so far beyond anything I was expecting that I'm overwhelmed on all levels.

"Um..." My voice comes out weak and shaking, but the hopeful glimmer in so many eyes bolster my resolve. "I...I want to thank you all for coming to support me and my friends. It means so much to know that you've put your faith in me at this time of need. Now is the most important time to come together and fight as one for what we love." I intertwine my fingers with Gilbert's. "Fight for your homes! Fight for your families! Fight for your friends, neighbors, and fellow living beings!" I raise the hand clutching Gilbert's in the air. "For Elarium!"

"FOR ELARIUM!" the Army of Light roars. Everyone from forest spirits to wind gods and goddesses draw their weapons and prepare for battle.

"On my mark!" I wait for Kirkland to make the first move.

The shadow handler smirks wickedly. "Prepare to die, you miserable worms!"

He signals for his Shadow Forces to advance. I watch them carefully and wait for the perfect opportunity before announcing a charge of our own. "Hold positions!" I shout over the moaning and chittering of the shadow creatures. Several Trolls crush their own comrades in their haste to reach the front lines.

"Whatever happens, Lizzie. I'm with you till the end."

"Charge!" I yell on the top of my lungs.

Wild shouts and screams fill the air as the Forces of Light surge toward the shadows. The two armies meet in an earth shaking collision. Fliers swoop down and try to pick off fighters from the ground, but the eagles, wind stallions, and fairies push them back. I loose track of almost everyone around me as smaller skirmishes develop within the larger battle.

A group of water dragons crawl on and around a couple of Trolls. They scratch at them with claws like sapphires and breathe torrents of water over the hulking shadow creatures. None of this seems to have much effect.

"Aim for the eyes!" I shout as I take off into the air. "Their eyes are their weakness!"

The dragons take my advice and plunge their gemlike claws through the Trolls' eye cavities. The large shadow creatures bellow in pain as dark liquids spurt out onto their faces. They collapse to the ground with loud crashes and turn to dust.

"Much thankssssss, champion of the Protector," one of the dragons calls out as I fly off in search of people needing help.

Many of the boar spirits are holding their own, and are actually quite savage in their tactics. They wield clubs and cudgels that they use to bludgeon their foes to death while war cries tear from their throats. It would seem to me that they actually enjoy fighting. I quickly pass them and join a group of grassland spirits fighting on the ground. They move gracefully and slice their enemies apart with long green blades.

"You fight well," Pascaline tells me as I tear down some hissing Crawlers.

"Thank you," I say back quickly as more creatures replace their fallen comrades to be impaled by my spear.

Suddenly, a Crawler appears behind the goddess and springs toward her back. I move without thinking and reach for a throwing knife in my boot. The shadow creature falls to the ground with the weapon embedded between its eyes. It twitches once and dissolves into dust.

"Many thanks," Pascaline says with wide eyes.

"Don't mention it," I reply slightly out of breath. She nods and I run off toward a circle forming around two fighters.

Turns out it's the Vargas twins fending off everything that comes at them. Intense green auras surround them, and their faces display the sharpened features that go with their blessings. Italy and Romano also circle around their partners and growl dangerously at anything that gets too close.

Walkers lumber toward them from multiple directions, and the Wolves work in tandem to fend off each blow as it comes. Their spirit animals snap their sharp teeth and tear chunks from the encroaching creatures. Everything seems to be going fine until Feli's foot gets caught in a hidden hole in the ground. A Walker takes the opportunity to slash at the fallen Wolf's shoulder with its long claws.

"Feli!" I fight my way to the center with renewed fervor. Energy surges through me as I try to tap into my newest power. The first form that enters my mind is a throwing knife, like I used before, and a blade of light appears in my hand. I throw that at the nearest shadow creature, which dissolves into dust. Another blade materializes in my hand, and I just keep throwing them until all the Walkers are gone.

"Feliciano, you idiot!" Lovino growls. "How many times do I have to tell you to be careful?"

"S-sorry...Lovi..." the younger Wolf says between breaths. His partner whines and sniffs at at his injured shoulder, which shows signs of shadow infection. "I'll be...just fine...Italy..." Feli's eyes roll to the back of his skull.

"Hey! Hey, Feliciano! Wake up, idiot!" Lovino shouts desperately.

"Mmmmm? L-Lovi...?" Feli's eyes flutter. "It...it hurts..."

"Yeah, I know." The Wolf's eyes begin to close again. "No, stay with me, idiot!" Lovino turns to me with pleading in his hazel eyes. "Do something! Please!"

"I'm on it!" I roll back my jacket sleeves and begin removing Feli's infection. It only takes a few moments for his skin color to return to normal, then I work on closing his wound. The Wolf's face relaxes as my energy erases all traces of his injury except for three faint pink lines.

"C'mon, Feliciano. Wake up," Lovino says as he tries to rouse his brother.

"Lovi," Feli opens his eyes and focuses them on his twin. "Hi, guys."

"Glad you're back with us," I say in relief.

A loud roaring gets my attention, and I whirl around to see what the noise is. It looks like a small group of fighters are taking on a horde of Trolls and not doing well. I bid the Wolves a quick goodbye and take off toward the shadow creatures. Conflict rages on below me as I soar through the gray sky. The clouds seem to have thickened noticeably since the fighting has begun, but my wings still glimmer in the faint light.

Shouts of encouragement fill the air when the Forces of Light see me streak through the dark sky like a beacon of hope. Swarms of Fliers try to dive bomb me out of the air, but a flock of eagles lead by Kiku keeps them from tearing at my wings and face.

"Elizabeta! Ludwig is leading a group against the big creatures over there," the Eagle informs me.

"Okay, I'm on my way! Thanks!" I shout back.

"Wait, Elizabeta!" I stop to see what he wants. "I...I saw something that I think you should know about." Just as he says it, a loud roaring shakes the very air around us.

"Tell me later!" I say, knowing the fight agains the Trolls must be going poorly. The unused bow slung across Kiku's back gives me an idea. "Give me your bow," I instruct as I shrink my spear and hang it on my belt.

"Oh, uh, sure." He carefully takes the unused weapon off and hands it to me. "But I really think you should-"

"Tell me later!" I take off for the Trolls once again with the bow in my hand.

Using my new power, I form arrows of light and shoot them into swarms of shadow creatures. I'm not nearly as good of a shot as Kiku, so I try to fire at large groups of the enemy in case my aim is a little off. A rain of golden arrows descends onto the Shadow Forces as I make my way to Ludwig's company.

The Bear is surrounded in a blue energy as he swings his double sided axe viciously. Some golems and grass men fight alongside him, but their attacks are practically ineffectual. This is the main reason I brought the bow.

"Elizabeta!" Ludwig shouts in greeting. "We could really use your help right about now!"

"On it!" I shoot multiple light arrows into a Troll's eyes. It quits bellowing in surprise and falls on top of another creature.

The golems raise their gravely voices excitedly, and the grass men seem to become inspired by my actions. They sink their hands into the ground to summon large tendrils of grass from the ground. The plants wrap themselves around around the Trolls' ankles and slowly creep up their bodies.

Each shadow creature reacts differently, but all of them are annoyed by the growth. They try to break free, but the grass continues to grow vehemently until it reaches the creatures faces. Without warning, the blades of grass plunge themselves into the Trolls' eyes and continue to burrow into the shadows' skulls.

Eerie snickers and hissing come from the grass men as they watch the Trolls turn to dust in amusement. I decide I never want to be on these creatures' bad side.

"Well done, Elizabeta," Ludwig says with a nod. "I was having difficulty motivating them to do anything."

"Glad I could help," I pant. My energy is quickly starting to wane. "Where's Gil?"

"I haven't seen him in a while," the Bear answers darkly.

"Shoot," I murmur. "Where are you, Gilbert?"

I say a quick farewell to Ludwig and jump back into the air. My bow hums with energy as I shoot as many arrows as I can, all the while searching for Gilbert. I haven't seen him in a long time, and I'm starting to get worried.

That's when I spot a blazing red energy in a sea of darkness. I dive down toward the ground at a dizzying speed to join Gilbert on the ground. A blast of golden energy knocks away all the shadow creatures in the area where I land.

"Lizzie?" I turn around to see the white haired Bear staring at me in shock.

"Gil," I sigh in relief. "I was so worried."

"It pains me to interrupt such a sweet moment, but it would be awful if someone were to get hurt because you're not paying attention to the most obvious threat here."

I practically jump out of my skin in surprise. Kirkland is standing behind the two of us with the tip of his black sword pointed at us. I didn't even notice his presence until now.

"Kirkland-"

"Not another word," he growls. "This is the moment I've been waiting for, and I won't let you spoil this." He raises his blade to strike, and as he does so, I draw my spear and block his attack.

"I hate to rain on your parade," I hiss through grit teeth, "but I'm not letting you win today."

We spring apart and glare at each other disdainfully. No words pass between us as we run toward each other to exchange more blows. The shadow handler snarls with each swing, which I dodge or block to the best of my ability. I react mostly on instinct and a mysterious innate skill with the ancient spear. Kirkland's expression morphs from confident to unsure to infuriated.

"You will not get the best of me!" he spits.

"We'll see," I taunt.

The shadow master raises himself from his fighting stance and smirks in a way that makes me suspicious. "Yes, we shall." He gathers dark energy around him, and his eyes begin to glow maliciously. "This is the power I've been perfecting for the last thousand years! Prepare to see the fruit of my labors, ahhahahaha!"

Swirls of shadowy energy swirl and converge on Kirkland. Many of the shadow creatures in the vicinity are transformed into pure energy and siphoned into the shadowy man. The very atmosphere seems to darken as Kirkland grows in size. He becomes as large as a Troll, and his red eyes blaze spitefully.

"Gaze upon my power!" he roars. The shadow handler's voice echoes like it's made of several instead of just one.

I stare at the hunchbacked beast Kirkland has transformed into with horror. His shoulders are broad and thick with muscled arms hanging from them. Dark claws curl at the end of each finger, which look dangerously sharp. Oversized teeth poke out between his dark, cracked lips, and his warm breath vaporizes instantly in the cold air as he growls ferociously.

"Does fear grip your heart, love?" Despite his warped voice, sarcasm obviously taints the last word he spits out.

"What...what are you?"

The beast steps closer, his thick arms swinging. Each footstep leaves a gigantic depression in the ground, and he only stops when he's right in front of me. "I have become something even you cannot defeat." He leans in so that I can see my reflection in his eyes. "Your worst nightmare."

"Not a step closer," I threaten. While Kirkland was walking nearer, I had pulled out my bow and spear. On a bit of a whim, I elongated the sharp weapon and load it like an arrow. "I'll spear your heart if you get any closer."

The beast straightens and looks at me with amusement. "Your puny weapons have no effect on me."

"How about now?" I pour my energy into the spear, and it glows with golden power.

"What is this sorcery?" he asks in bewilderment. "Don't think you can trick me!" The beast lunges.

"Big mistake."

I let the spear fly as Kirkland tries to get closer. It embeds itself deep into the beast's chest. A raspy gurgle chokes the shadow handler as he stumbles backward, and he pathetically claws at the spear in his chest to no effect.

"What have you done?" Kirkland roars. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

"I've won," I say wearily.

The reaction I get was not what I was expecting. Deep, rumbling laughter fills the air, and the shadow master's shoulders shake in maniacal laughter.

"You think you've won? Ahhahaha!" He fixes his red eyes on me. "This is nothing." A dark, swirling void opens up behind the beast. "Follow me if you dare, love. Oblivion awaits!" With that, he steps backward into the void and disappears.

I'm about to go after him when a gentle hand circles around my wrist. "Lizzie, wait..."

"Gilbert..." I don't know what to say to soothe the pain in his crimson eyes.

"I just...I don't..." The Bear's voice breaks.

"I'm sorry, but I have to," I say softly.

"Lizzie, wait!"

I kiss him. I kiss him with everything I have. "I'm sorry, Gil. I love you." I turn and run through the void without looking back.


	40. Reborn

I become faintly aware of something cold and gritty under my cheek and palms. A low groan comes from the back of my throat as I try to push myself up off my stomach. The fatigue from the battle is finally getting to me, and I'd rather take a warm bath than anything right now. My eyes fly open at the thought of the battle as everything comes rushing back to me. I'm on my feet in an instant, but there's no sign of Kirkland anywhere.

My bow lies carelessly strewn in the gray sand at my feet, and I quickly bend over to pick it up. An eerie sense of déjà vu nags at my mind as I look up and down the long length of the dreary beach I woke up on, and as I do so, large indentations in the sand catch my eye. I jog to the spot where they start and begin to follow them. The only thing that can make anything of this size is Kirkland.

A long, long trail stretches down the beach, and I continue to follow it for a very long time. Time itself seems warped in this light forsaken realm, so it's impossible to judge just how long I was running. The footprints eventually lead away from the beach toward the field full of boulders. Oblivion hasn't changed at all it seems.

I'm about to start jogging down a very large path that's been formed through the debris, which I assume Kirkland made, when a low growling sound in the distance reaches my ears. Without hesitation, I notch a light arrow in my bow and aim toward the sound. I'm met with the sight of one of the faded spirits that wander this realm. The shadowy figure turns its head in my direction, but doesn't react otherwise.

"Eeehhhhhhh...light...so long...since light...errrrrrrggghhh."

I lower my weapon as the figure walks away. I've never seen one in this part of Oblivion, let alone heard one speak. I quickly shake the odd feeling I get and continue down the path. The sooner I catch up to Kirkland, the better. I don't have to run far before I see the dark, hunched back of the shadow handler a ways off in the distance. He is crushing all of the rocks and dirt if front of him with brute strength, and I'm glad I haven't had to face him head on in this form. At least not yet.

The beast pauses as if something has caught his attention, and my heart practically stops. A few tense moments pass as he swings his dark head from side to side to take in his surroundings. Satisfied that he is indeed alone, Kirkland continues to force his way through the field of debris.

It's not long until he reaches the tall gray grass that bends and sways with a will of its own, however, in this form, the shadow handler is easily twice as tall as the monochromatic grass.

"You can't fool me anymore," he rumbles in a deep voice. "I'll go wherever I please from now on!" The beast takes a large step into the grass, only to have the vegetation push him back. "Nooooooooo! I am your master! Obey me!"

He tries once more to force his way through the grass, but it won't allow him to pass. Meanwhile, I keep making my way toward the shadow handler while maintaining a safe distance. I really don't want to get involved with him right now since I can't see it ending well.

"You!" Kirkland spins around faster than I thought possible and glares at me with blazing red eyes. "I know you've been following me for a while now! Come here!"

I hesitate to do as he says. "Why should I? You're just going to kill me."

"Revenge is not sweet unless you take it the way you want," he replies. "I don't want to kill you until we're in the right place, but I will do it now if you continue to be difficult." His eyes glow dangerously. "And I promise you, it won't be pleasant in the least."

Living for as long as possible is high on my list of priorities, so I join the shadowy beast by the grass and look into its swaying depths. The gray tendrils seem to sense my presence and immediately make way for me to pass through. I take the first couple steps through slowly, but pick up my pace when I realize Kirkland is going to follow me.

He grabs my long braid before I can put any distance between the two of us. "You're going to lead me to the Tree like a good girl so I can water its roots with your blood. Any funny business and I'll tear you apart before you can bat a pretty little lash."

His words send a shiver down my spine, but I don't say anything back. This earns me a sharp tug to my hair. I hold back a yelp of pain and continue onward with tears welling in my eyes. The grass bends and swishes softly beside me as I follow the path it makes, and I can soon see the top of the Tree of Light growing closer with every step. At last, we walk free of the swaying field and onto the sloping hill with the enormous Tree growing on top.

"This will be your final resting place, Elizabeta," Kirkland growls as he walks past me. "I hope you didn't leave any unfinished business in the world of light, which will soon be another realm of shadow like this."

My mind turns to thoughts of Gilbert, but I push them away. My heart can't take it. "No, my only business is with you."

"Perfect!" The shadow handler turns to face me. "I believe this is yours." He throws my spear at my feet. "You might need that when we settle our quarrel, even if it won't save you in the end."

"Don't be so sure," I say stubbornly. "I have an ally here too."

Kirkland glances backward at the Tree and laughs. "That old thing? It's half dead! You'd have better luck asking that wretched grass for help than this Tree." All the mirth leaves his face in an instant. "You have no hope. It's time you learn to accept that."

I reach down for my spear and load my bow into it with as much energy as I can. "I've always fought against the odds. It would be a shame to quit now."

"Such a one trick pony!" the shadowy beast spits. "That's not going to work on me again!"

He charges after me, and I let the energy filled spear fly. It streaks through the air like a shooting star and sails right over Kirkland's head. He slows his advance in surprise and begins to laugh big shoulder shaking laughs.

"You can't even aim that thing right!" Heavy panting whooshes through the beast's throat as he tries to catch his breath. "How pathetic! I'm really going to enjoy killing you, Elizabeta."

"Not today."

I draw my silver dagger and prepare for his oncoming attack. It comes quickly and with tremendous force. I'm barely able to parry his sharp claws with my blade when the next swipe comes. Hot, searing pain slices across my upper thigh making me jump away from Kirkland in a hurry. Something drips down my leg, which I swipe at absentmindedly with my hand. It comes away warm and sticky.

"Had enough yet?" the shadow handler calls out.

"Not even close," I murmur as I wipe blood off my hand.

"Ready for more?"

I jump with a start. Kirkland is suddenly right behind me and swiping downward with his blade like claws. I push off from the ground, but I stumble from the pain in my right thigh. My hesitation gives the beast the upper hand, and he used the opportunity to go after my greatest physical asset.

A painful scream rips through my throat as Kirkland grabs both of my wings in a tight grip. "Beg for mercy, Elizabeta. Beg for all you're worth," he hisses him my ear.

"Never!" I swing my elbow back into the beast's large nose with a sickening crunch. It's hard to tell if the sound is from his nose breaking or my elbow.

"Insolent brat!" the shadow handler bellows. He rips out a handful of gold feathers leaving behind a bare bloody patch on my wing. "Beg! Beg for your life!"

"Nooo!" I scream in pain and defiance. I struggle to get away, but Kirkland's tight hold keeps me from going far. In a last ditch attempt to free myself, I twist around as far as I can and plunge my dagger into his thick chest.

His deep roar makes my ears ring, and causes me to cover my them. It was a mistake for me to attack him like that because he releases his pain and anger on the thing he still has clenched in his hand. My wing. A sickening snap and several crunches follow the shadow handler crushing my golden wing in his dark hand. The pain is so intense that my vision blacks out and red spots dance before my eyes. It's hard to tell if the awful noise piercing the air is my pain filled screaming or Kirkland's malicious laughter.

"You really think a puny weapon like this can do anything against me?" Delicately, he pulls the dagger out of his chest with two fingers and throws it aside. "Pathetic. I hope you learned your lesson. Stupid tricks like that won't work anymore."

He opens his hand and lets my broken form crumple to the ground. The impact sends shockwaves of pain through my body, but I don't have the strength left to cry out. Blood seeps into my clothing and hair, which has fallen out of its braid, but that's the least of my worries. I force myself to move despite the agonizing pain and begin to crawl up the hill toward the Tree. It's my last hope at this point.

"Where do you think you're going?" the beast growls. He slams a large hand down on my back to keeps from moving, and I whimper involuntarily. "Not another movement," he breathes against my neck as I reach for my boot.

"Go screw yourself," I hiss. Before he can react, I whip out my last throwing knife and stab it deep into one of his glowing red eyes.

Unearthly sounds erupt out of Kirkland as he claws futilely at his injured eye. I take the chance to force myself onto my feet and hobble the rest of the way up to the Tree. It glows with a faint light that seems to brighten slightly when I collapse onto its trunk. Being in contact with a source of light must be doing me good because I can feel my energy starting to return. My pain also seems to be ebbing away, and I look to see the gashes on my thigh have disappeared. The Tree is healing me?

"GRRRAAAAAHHHHH! You horrible wench! I'm going to tear you limb from limb!" Kirkland turns to face me with fierce rage disfiguring his face and hatred burning in his one remaining eye. The other one is painfully squeezed shut with dark liquid oozing out between the lids.

"No, Dark One. Today is your day to fall," I say with growing confidence. Without a twinge of pain, I stand up straight and tall, my body whole once more. "There can be no shadow where light exists."

The beast stares at me with a bewildered expression. "What is this? What did you do?" An emotion almost like fear appears on his warped face.

That's when I notice the snow, or at least I think it's snow at first. Upon further inspection, I realize that odd flecks of golden light are falling from the sky. I let one fall on my hand, and it gleams for a moment before winking out of existence. More and more of the strange glimmers fall from the Tree's branches, which are now pulsing a gold color instead of gray.

"Beautiful," I breathe in awe.

"What did you do?" Kirkland shrieks, sounding more like his former self. "Why is it doing this? I don't understand!"

"Maybe this will enlighten you," I say as I take a step to the side. I reveal the smooth wooden shaft of my spear sticking out of the Tree's now golden trunk.

"When did you-" He figures it out before he finishes voicing his question. "In the beginning. You missed me on purpose so the power in your spear would transfer to the Tree."

"Yeah. I wasn't sure it would work to be honest," I admit. "I figured it was better than nothing."

"It's still not enough to save you," the shadow handler mumbles. "No glowing tree can stop me!" He runs towards me with his claws ready to tear me down.

"That's where you're wrong."

I turn around to find the source of the mysterious voice just as Kirkland hits some kind of barrier surrounding me and the Tree. He falls back down the hill end over end until he reaches the bottom. Apparently, hitting the barrier the first time wasn't enough for him because he climbs up the hill once more and begins pounding on the force field with heavy fists.

"I'm getting real tired of your tricks!" he bellows.

"I-I'm not doing it," I insist. There's no way I could produce anything powerful enough to hold Kirkland back in this beast like form.

"No, I am." The same voice from before rings out clearly like a bell. It's weird because I feel as if I've heard it before. "You have been up to more mischief, I see, Dark One."

"Who said that?"

"I did." A woman suddenly materializes next to me causing both me and Kirkland to jump in surprise. "Do you know who I am, Shadow Commander, or should I say Arthur Kirkland?"

"That's not my name anymore," the beast spits. "Not since the goddesses took my brother away!"

"They did no such thing," the woman rebukes in a strong voice. Her white robe rustles as she lifts her hand to point at Kirkland. "It is your fault and your fault alone that Alfred is no longer with us."

"Don't say his name!" the shadow handler shouts and hits the force field with his fist. "Don't say it like you know him! He was my brother, not yours!"

"And where is this brother of yours now?"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" The beast falls to his knees and leans with his palms against the barrier. "I could have saved him...I could have...they wouldn't let me...it's not...my fault."

"Um, what are you talking about?" I ask since I'm completely lost.

The woman turns her pale blue eyes to me for the first time, and the long white hair cascading down her back flutters slightly as she does so. "The poor beast you see before you was once the god of magic. You've heard of this, yes?"

"Yes," I answer with a nod.

"At one time he had a brother," the beautiful woman continues. "This was before he was banished to Oblivion. Alfred was the young boy's name, and the two of them were inseparable. Arthur here was a very dutiful older brother and made sure to keep his younger brother in line. Unfortunately, the boy was young and very free spirited, which is to be expected from a god of fun and merriment, but it also got him into a lot of trouble. Are you following so far, Elizabeta?"

"Y-yes, I think so." I'm actually a little distracted by how quiet Kirkland has been. It's not normal.

"Good." She nods. "One day, Alfred decided to go explore a dark corner of Elarium, one that only a handful of souls has ventured into and come out alive. He did not say a word to Arthur, and I'm sure you can figure out what happened after that."

"I could have saved him," the shadow handler chokes out in a thick voice. "But they wouldn't let me!" The outburst seems to have sapped an enormous amount of his strength because he shrinks back to his original size before our very eyes.

"What you proposed to be done would not have saved anyone!" the woman snaps harshly. "You clearly did not, and still do not, understand how the balance between worlds works."

"Balance between worlds?" I question. I've never heard of that before.

"Yes, the balance. Where do you think people go when they die?"

"I don't really know," I admit. That thought had never really crossed my mind.

"They come here," the glowing woman replies. "Angels and gods and goddesses alike come here when their lives are over. It is here that their souls are cleansed and prepared for rebirth. Arthur wanted to defy the natural cycle of death and rebirth by reviving his brother, but the goddesses wouldn't allow him to do so. The consequences would have been catastrophic."

"What?" Kirkland lifts his shaggy head and looks at us with haggard eyes. "What kind of lies are you uttering over there?"

"I speak only the truth, Arthur, but you are the last person I expect to understand," the woman says. "The two worlds of Elarium and Oblivion hang in a very delicate balance. As a soul leaves one plain it is replaced soon by another to maintain order, so if someone dies, someone else is born. You wanted to forcefully pull your brother back to the realm of Oblivion, but you would not have succeeded."

"You don't know that!" the shadow handler shouts.

"I do know," the woman responds. "If you had tried you would have failed, or if you had succeeded, Alfred would not have been the same person you knew. A soul forced from the natural balance will be so horribly warped and twisted they would be better off dead. And now, to get revenge on the goddesses, you have tampered with the cycle by transforming souls from this realm into your shadow army. This has thrown off the balance and will eventually bring about the destruction of both worlds. The signs can already be seen in the unusual weather plaguing Elarium. As the overseer of Oblivion, I do not take kindly to a conceited child causing a fuss in my realm."

"You're the goddess of Oblivion?" I ask in surprise.

"Yes. My name is Luminia, and I am the guardian of this realm." She looks behind her at the glowing Tree. "This Tree is my physical form. What you see before you is just an illusion I've been able to make with the energy you have given me, Elizabeta. Alhtough, your methods were slightly unorthodox," she says as she removes my spear from the trunk of her Tree. "I have been dormant a long time since most of my energy goes toward maintaining the ebb and flow of this place."

"It would have been better if you stayed that way," Kirkland mumbles.

"For you, perhaps, since I have come to pass judgement on you." She hands me my spear. "Souls are usually cleansed here of any filth they have accumulated while alive. That is why this realm appears so dark and desolate. It is the burdens and mistakes of millions of souls being shed as they are prepared for rebirth. However, you will not have the opportunity to experience such a renewal."

The goddess raises her hand toward Kirkland, and a thick tree root breaks free of the ground and impales him in the chest. A gurgle rises in his throat as the root drags him up the hill toward us. No pain seems to register in the shadow handler's face, yet tears leak out of his one good eye. It's the first time I've ever seen him look so weak.

"Arthur Kirkland, you have committed crimes against angels, gods, goddesses, and both realms. You have corrupted thousands of souls and killed thousands more all in the name of self gain and revenge." Luminia's face becomes cold and hard. "I condemn you to lose your soul as penance for your multitude of wrongdoings."

The root piercing Kirkland's chest pulses with light, and his shadowy appearance begins to melt away. Without his shadow powers, he looks just like any ordinary person. His hair is messy and blonde and hides dull green eyes, eyes that hold a heart wrenching anguish inside of them. The root continues to pulse, and the former shadow handler's figure begins to fade.

"What's happening?" I ask in a panic.

"I'm trapping his soul into my tree," the goddess replies. "It is where those that have committed the worst crimes go. It temporarily tips the balance, but these souls cannot be allowed to be reborn."

Kirkland's form becomes fainter and fainter until he's practically see through. His eyes lock with mine, and in that fateful moment, I see him for what he is. A grieving brother trying to cope with the reality of being alone in the world. It's a feeling I know only too well.

"Stop."

"What?"

"Stop!" I yell at the goddess. She puts her hand up to halt the root's progress. All that's left of Kirkland is a very faint outline, which I approach in three quick steps. "Kirkland?" His one good eye turns toward me, and I crouch down beside him. "You miss him, don't you?"

Tears continue to silently stream down his cheeks. "Everyday," he responds in a raspy, hollow voice.

"Do you think this is what Alfred would have wanted you to do?"

He closes his eyes and stays quiet for a long time. "I didn't have a choice. They wouldn't help me."

I hesitantly reach out and put my hand on Kirkland's unruly hair. This causes him to open his eye in surprise. "I think that he would have wanted you to move on. Are you ready to do that?" I gently stroke his hair in a comforting way.

He reaches up with a shaking hand and holds mine against the side of his head. "I'm...so tired..."

"I know, but you need to answer my question. Are you willing to let go and move on?"

"Do you really think that's what he would have wanted?"

I nod. "I really, truly believe it."

A soft laugh sounds from the former shadow handler. "You would have liked him," he whispers. He closes his uninjured eye once more and sighs wearily. "I...I don't want to do this anymore. I hate...being alone...and surrounded by the dark. I miss the sunshine..." His hand falls away from mine.

I stand up and face Luminia. "Can you save him?"

She looks at me quizzically. "You wish to have mercy on him despite all that he's done, and all the people he's hurt, including your friends?"

My heart clenches in my chest. Her words are true, but it's not enough to shake my resolve. "I think he deserves a second chance. Pain and loneliness cause people to do crazy things. He shouldn't be held completely accountable for it."

The goddess seems to think it over before nodding. "You have made an interesting choice. I would say Matrisus has also made an interesting choice making you her champion."

She snaps her fingers, and what's left of Kirkland is enveloped in a bright light. When it fades, I see a small boy in a dark cloak laying on the ground. I kneel down and carefully pick the little boy up. He wiggles a bit in my arms and stretches as if just waking up.

"Who are you?" I ask him quietly.

"Awwwffer," he murmurs sleepily.

"Who?"

"Arthur." The boy opens his eyes to reveal stunningly green irises. "I'm Arthur Kirkland, the god of magic, see?" He cups his hands together and throws them up in the air. Instead of nothing, tiny little flowers fall from his hands to the ground.

"It really is you." I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw a little boy lying on the ground, but I know it really is the former shadow handler. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," he answers somewhat distractedly. He's amusing himself by making some of the flowers disappear and reappear in his hands. "You're pretty," he says unexpectedly.

"Oh...um..."

"Here, give him to me," Luminia says with open arms. I don't know if I trust the little boy to her since she was all for trapping his soul just a moment ago, but I hand the child over anyway. "He has no memory of his previous life. That is the way all those who are reborn are. It keeps them from being weighed down my their previous mistakes or unfinished business."

I decide to voice the question that's been on my mind since hearing about rebirth. "Why doesn't anyone else know about this? I never knew this place existed until Kirkland trapped me here, and he didn't know about the balance even though he's been here for over a thousand years."

"Oblivion is as old as Elarium itself. It was created for the purpose of maintaining balance, but that function was long forgotten by the gods and goddesses of the other realm." The goddess's expression becomes a little annoyed. "Now it is thought of as a convenient dumping place for those that have done great evils in Elarium. The occasional banishment is not enough to permanently tip the balance, but it can still be quite bothersome."

"Oh," I say rather lamely. All of this new information is making my head spin, or maybe it's just the fatigue. The guardian of Oblivion seems to notice my energy beginning to run out.

"It is time for you to go back," she informs me.

"I thought I couldn't go back once my physical body was here."

"That would be true if you were here with anyone else, but as the guardian of Oblivion I have the power to do send you home."

"What about Arthur?" I ask as a warm energy envelops me.

"I will send him back when the time is right."

I barely hear her last words because a strong wind has started blowing around me. It roars louder and louder and the air around me grows brighter and brighter. The last thing I see are Arthur's perceptive eyes watching me intently. Then everything is gone with a flash.


	41. Chapter 41

Spots swim before my eyes as the landscape before me comes into focus. I realize I'm back on the battlefield, but it looks radically different than it did before. There isn't a trace of a shadow creature left anywhere in the valley, and small groups have formed around the wounded. Some are being carried away for treatment while others are put on a disturbingly large pile of bodies. Those must be the casualties.

Someone notices my presence, and a commotion spreads across the tattered remains of the Forces of Light. A large group starts to form around me as people flock to my side. They shout questions and excited greetings at me.

"Where is the Shadow Commander?"

"It's the champion!"

"Where were you?"

"Did you defeat the Dark One?"

"We've won! Hail the Great Goddess!"

"Do you know about the white haired one?"

The last comment catches my attention. "Gilbert?" I had been so distracted by everything going on that I had completely forgotten about my friends.

Silence settles over the crowd, and everyone turns to look at the largest group of people a ways off from us. A sickening feeling fills the pit of my stomach. The various guardians of Elarium move out of the way for me as I run toward the larger group. Fear makes my hurried steps tremble, and I almost trip over my own feet. I slow down just before reaching the outside circle of people.

Pascaline and Rin are the first to acknowledge my presence. "We are victorious, champion," Pascaline says in a somber voice. "Unfortunately, there were casualties..." Her voice trails off.

Little Rin hops over to me and wraps her arms around my legs. "It's okay, Lizzie. Please don't be sad."

Pain stabs my chest at her words. There can be only one person she heard that nickname from. "Where is he?"

"Please remain calm-"

"Where is he?"

"This way." Kor steps forward and gently takes my hand. "I'll take you there."

Many serious faces pass by me as the forest god leads me through the large crowd. Some people reach out in what they must believe is a comforting gesture. I try not to think about why I would need comforting and follow Kor into the heart of the group. My friends quickly crowd around me.

"Liza," Feli says in distress. "We did everything but..." He looks down at his feet.

"I tried to tell you, Elizabeta," Kiku whispers. He takes the hand Kor was holding a moment ago. "I tried to tell you before you flew away. I'm so sorry I couldn't stop it."

Lovino steps forward, but doesn't say anything. He ushers his brother away without a word. Before they leave, the Wolf gives me a look I've never seen him give anyone. It's one of empathy.

The departure of the Vargas brothers reveals what everyone is gathered around, a figure laying on the grass. It's Gilbert.

"Hey, Lizzie," he says in a weak voice. "I can't believe...you made it back...I'm glad."

I kneel beside him, unable to say a word. There's blood, so much blood.

"Don't...look so upset." The Bear reaches out and touches my hand. "It's going to be fine...you'll see."

"Gilbert," I whisper. "Gilbert..."

"Yeah...I'm right here, Lizzie." His thumb rubs soothing circles on my hand.

"I...what...I don't..."

"Hey...no frowning." A strained smile tugs on Gilbert's lips, but I can't seem to mimic the expression. His eyes gain a far away look. "Remember...that night under the stars...when you woke up...after being asleep for...four days?"

"Yeah," I answer, my voice wavering.

"It was the first time...I knew...that you were the one." A choked sob escapes my lips, and a tear slips down my face. "Don't cry, Lizzie. It's going to be...just fine. Ludwig...promised to look out for you...for me."

It's the first time I notice the blonde Bear kneeling on the other side of his brother. He nods once at me before looking back down at his brother, his face a mask of stone. Despite his collected appearance, Ludwig's clenched hands tremble uncontrollably.

"Remember that time...by the stream...where you took care of me because...I was an idiot?"

My mind flashes back to that moment when it felt like we were the only two people alive. "Yeah." I let out a tense laugh. "I was afraid Ludwig scrambled your brain."

Gilbert chuckles, but is cut off by raspy coughing fit. It passes soon enough, and the Bear is speaking once more. "How about the time...you sang for me...before we got to Eagle Territory?"

"You sang too," I gently remind him.

"Not as good as you."

Something inside me snaps at that moment. I won't let it end like this. Strong energy flows to my hands as I attempt to heal the broken body lying in front of me. Tears are freely flowing down my face, but I ignore them and invest all of my concentration into knitting muscles and skin back together.

"Lizzie..."

I block out everything except saving Gilbert.

"Lizzie."

This isn't going to end like this.

"Lizzie!"

The outburst startles me out of my reverie, and I stop using my energy. I almost jump again when a cold hand touches mine.

"Don't...bother...with that." The outburst seems to have taken a lot out of the white haired Bear, but he still pulls my hand to his chest. His heart beats weakly beneath my shaking hand. "Can you...sing me that song again, Lizzie?"

"What?"

"That song...about the birds...and the wind...and..." His crimson eyes plead pitifully with me.

"Alright," I tell him. He smiles and closes his eyes. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My voice doesn't want to work.

" _The birds in the meadows_

_The birds in the trees_

_The birds in the valleys_

_Are waiting for me._ "

 I look down at Gilbert in surprise. His eyes are now open and staring at me intently, but there's a glassy look to them that scares me more than any Shadow Army.

"You're...not going to...make me sing alone...are you?"

I quickly shake my head and bow it over his face. His ghostly pale face. The white haired Bear's eyes slide shut once more.

 

" _The birds in the meadows_

_The birds in the trees_

_The birds in the valleys_

_Are waiting for me._

 

_But I do not see them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are_."

 

My voice trembles and shakes, but I force the words to come out. Gilbert sings along in a weak voice.

 

" _The winds through the meadows_

_The winds through the trees_

_The winds through the valleys_

_Are blowing for me._

 

_But I do not feel them_

_I wander alone._

_I long for the place_

_Where you are._ "

 

A hush has settled over the valley as everyone stops to listen to us sing. It would have been beautiful in any other situation.

 

" _The hearts of the meadows_

_The hearts of the trees_

_The hearts of the valleys_

_Are beating for me._

  

_But I do not hear them_

_I am not alone._ "

 

The last line comes out in barely more than a whisper, but it cuts me to the core.

 

" _I am in the place_

_Where you are._ "

 

Tears run down my cheeks and softly drip into Gilbert's matted hair. I reach out with a shaking hand and brush the messy white locks away from his eyes. Pure, sparkling snowflakes begin to fall from the gray sky and land on his pale, closed lids. They stick to his skin like shimmering crystals of perfection. None of them melt.

"I love you," the Bear says so quietly that I might have imagined it.

"I love you too," I answer, but he doesn't reply. Not even his heart beats in response. "Gilbert?"

Nothing.

"Gilbert? Gilbert, please wake up!"

"Brother?" Ludwig's head snaps up. "Brother, this isn't funny!"

A quiet sobbing comes from behind me, and I know it's Feli.

"You're not supposed to die, stupid Bear bastard." His words may be harsh, but silent tears slip out of Lovino's eyes.

I feel a pressure on my shoulder, and I look up to see Kiku standing beside me with his hand touching me comfortingly. "Elizabeta...he's..."

"No!" I snatch up my spear from the ground where I dropped it earlier. "Nobody touch him!" I point my weapon viciously at the people who stepped forward to carry him away.

"But Elizabeta." I turn to look at Ludwig. "There's nothing left to do...there's nothing we can do-"

"NO!" I shriek. "I won't let it end like this!" I grit my teeth in frustration. "Not like this."

The world seems to grow gray and lose its color. It matches the bleakness of my world without Gil there to make it shine. I look around slowly and begin to realize that everything really has gone gray, and it's not just my imagination. That can only mean one thing.

I get to my feet and turn to see the Great Mother walking toward me with pain in her violet eyes. Everyone else is frozen in place and contrast starkly with her golden radiance. She stops when she reaches the lifeless body at my feet.

"It's happened all over again," she whispers.

I'm confused by her words at first, but then I remember the legend. She too had companions that fought and died for her. That gives me an idea.

"But you brought them back," I remind her. "How did you do it?"

The goddess glances at me with a sideways look. "I had to sacrifice something irreplaceable."

"Your body," I remember out loud. "Can I do that?" Her face becomes serious, and I'm afraid she's going to say no. "Please! You have to let me do this! I'll do anything!"

"Elizabeta-"

"Wait..." I knit my brows together in confusion. "What about the balance?"

"So, she told you about that." The Great Mother sighs. "Luminia takes the balance between worlds much more seriously than is necessary. The balance is not as fragile as she believes."

"But what about the weird weather?" I ask. "Hasn't Kirkland thrown the balance off?"

"He has," the goddess confirms with a nod, "but the deaths caused by the fighting will be enough to make up for it."

"She said you had forgotten about the balance."

"Perhaps that is what she thinks," Matrisus says with a small, amused grin. "If I had, how could I have revived my companions without throwing Elarium into chaos?"

"How did you do it?" I ask persistently. I need to know how to save Gilbert.

"The balance between Elarium and Oblivion work in a circular motion." The goddess draws a circle in the air with a slender finger. "It is possible to retrieve a soul from death if something is sacrificed to Oblivion in return. Kirkland did not understand this, thus we did not allow him to revive his brother."

"So, what do I have to give up?"

"That is for you to decide. What do you possess that is worth a soul?"

My mind goes blank. What do I have? I could give up my energy, but I have no idea what the side effects of that would be. It could be possible that I would die without my energy, and that defeats the purpose of giving it up in the first place. I could sacrifice my voice, or my vision, but those things don't seem like they would cover the price of Gilbert's soul.

I need to give something unique and meaningful. Something that is important to me and has enormous value. Something that is precious.

"I've got it." I turn to the Great Mother. "How do I bring him back?"

She sees the determination in my eyes and smiles. "You must release whatever you are giving from this world and use the energy to summon your companion's soul."

"What if...it's not enough?"

"Only the balance can determine that."

I nod and kneel beside Gilbert's motionless body. Hesitantly, I reach out to touch his cold arm. I won't give up, no matter what.

Silently, I close my eyes and focus my thoughts on the thing I'm giving up. I will it to disappear from this realm and bring my love back to me. A soft rustling sound fills the air as I feel the wings and feathers melt off my back like leaves blowing away in the wind. The sudden loss of weight from my shoulders is more than I expected. It's like a little piece of my soul has disappeared.

A small, red glowing orb of light suddenly appears before my eyes. It bobs and dips playfully until I cup it in my hand. Warmth radiates from it. Strange, familiar, comforting warmth. This must he Gilbert's soul. It gently nudges my palm, and I know without a doubt that it's him. I take the orb and press it into Gilbert's unmoving chest.

The Bear's skin begins to regain some of its color, and his lips quiver slightly. In actuality, everything has regained its color, and the goddess's golden presence has faded away like a blown dandelion. A rhythmic movement catches my attention, and I look down at Gilbert. His cheeks are faintly blushed, and his chest moves in time to his steady breathing.

I carefully lean down and put my ear to his lips, which are warm and red. A soft breath tickles my cheek, and I know without a doubt he's alive. Joy grips my heart and drives away all the despair that's been plaguing me for years. In the spur of the moment, I lean in and press my lips to his.

Nothing happens at first, but it doesn't stay that way for long. Gilbert makes a small sound in his throat before reaching up to brush my face with his hand. His lips press back against mine, and I break away to look into his bright red eyes.

"Gil," I breathe.

"Lizzie."

It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.


	42. Epilogue

"What happens next, mama?"

"What do you mean what happens next?" I ask my little daughter. She and I are putting wet laundry up on clothes lines in our sunny yard.

"What did you and daddy do next?" She hops through the air while fluttering her delicate white wings, wings I was afraid she wouldn't have because of my lack of said wings.

"Well..." I place one of my husband's white shirts on the line and pin it down with some cleverly crafted wooden pins. "What do you think daddy and I did?"

"Hmmmm." The little girl scrunches her face up in concentration. She really looks like her father when she does that. "I think you went home and had a big party so you and daddy could live together."

I can't help but laugh at her idea. She hasn't quite grasped the concept of a wedding yet. "Yes, it went something like that."

My beautiful daughter becomes distracted by a line of ants crawling across the lush green grass, and I continue to put up the laundry alone. She likes to think she's helping, but I'm the one who does most of the work. I don't mind though. She's a sweetheart like her father, and they both tend to spoil me on occasions like my birthday.

I giggle softly to myself thinking about the years gone by. My little girl asks to hear the story of our quest quite often, and it takes me back every time. It had taken a few days to clear the valley of the wounded and fallen after the battle. Each group took their casualties back to their respective Territories to be honored in whatever fashion is customary for those people.

We were at a loss as to what to do for a long time after that. It seemed wrong to go back to our own Territories after all we've been through, so we went back to the building on the ceremonial grounds where the whole thing started. From there we went our own separate ways until the wedding.

The wedding was a huge commotion across all three Territories. There's an unspoken custom that a couple must be from the same clan to be married, but that was a problem in my case. Since I'm not actually from one specific clan, there were allegations raised from a certain member of the Eagle Council that the union should not be allowed. Needless to say the wedding took place anyway with the blessings of all the other Council members from the three Councils.

"Mama, when are we having lunch? I'm hungry."

"When your father gets home with the rabbit for the soup, sweetheart," I tell her.

"When's that?" she asks with wide pink eyes. Those she got from her father too, but she inherited my odd hair color.

"Whenever he gets here," I say with a sigh. My husband isn't known for being the most punctual.

"There are my two favorite girls, kesesesese!" Gilbert comes strolling into the brightly lit yard from the forest surrounding the house with several rabbits strung on his back. He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my forehead. "How was your day been, Lizzie?"

"Better now," I say with a smile.

"Daddy!" Our little girl jumps at Gilbert, and he lets go of me to catch her. "I missed you, daddy."

"I missed you too, baby." He gives her a big kiss on the cheek.

"Did you see Uncle Ludwig today?" the little girl asks excitedly.

"Yup! And he said he can't wait to come over for your birthday!"

"Yay!" She flaps her wings excitedly. "Will he give me flying lessons?"

"Maybe you should ask one of your other Uncles about that when they come over too," Gilbert suggests. He tactfully spares Ludwig from having to do any flying.

"Okay, I'll ask Uncle Lovi," she decides with a nod. She's the only one the Wolf let's call him that other than his own brother. The two seem to get on surprisingly well.

"But won't that make Uncle Feli and Uncle Kiku sad?" I tease.

"I'll give them hugs instead," she replies with a wide grin, another thing she got from her father.

"Alright, I have to go inside and get these rabbits ready for your mama or she won't be able to make any lunch," the white haired Bear says as he puts our daughter down. "Why don't you help her finish the laundry?"

"Okay." The little girl runs to the basket full of clothing and hands me a pair of pants. We work together for a while as she hums a familiar tune. Suddenly, the music stops. "Mama?"

"Yes, dear?" I pin the last shirt to the clothes line and turn around to look at the little girl.

"You wanna see a trick?" she asks me.

I kneel down on the soft grass in front of her. "Sure, I'd love to."

She smiles and cups her hands in front of her. I have no idea what to expect, but my mouth practically drops open when she does the trick. She throws her cupped hands into the air, and tiny little flowers come raining down out of nowhere.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" I ask her in astonishment.

"A little boy taught me," she explains. "I met him by the woods, over there." She points to a tree growing near the forest that shades about half of our yard. "He said he could teach me magic and showed me how to do this."

"Did he tell you his name?"

"No," my daughter says, preoccupied by creating more flowers. "But he had funny looking eyebrows. They were really big."

I look into the dim forest, but there's no sign of the little boy. Shaking my head and laughing softly, I pick up my empty basket and take the little girl's hand. "Let's go inside and see what your daddy is up to."

"Okay."

I pause before entering the house to take one more look at the woods. "If you ever see that boy again, you can invite him inside for a snack. I'd really like to meet him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A VERY big thank you to everyone that made it all the way here! I'm so grateful that you stuck with this to the very end. I know it turned out ridiculously long, and I have to apologize for that *bows* Thank you for your dedication and support, and a special shout out to everyone that favorited and/or followed this story. You are the best :) I hope these characters mean as much to you now as they do to me. It's been a great adventure, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Please feel free to check out any of my other stories and stay tuned for what's coming next. Thank you again :D


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